Chapter 12: Demonic Manifestation
Author: Geraint
After cleaning up and packing everything at the camp, everyone boarded the bus while their homeroom teacher did a headcount to make sure no one was missing.
"Uuuuu~"
The couple I caught having sex in the woods looked absolutely mortified, covering their faces in embarrassment.
"This is too much! I can't face anyone..."
A group of friends tried to comfort the girl, clearly aware of their relationship.
"Don't worry. Seir didn't say anything about you two. He just reminded everyone not to wander too far from the camp."
"But he saw us... Nishimiya and Mizuno-senpai were there too..."
"It's fine."
They patted her shoulders reassuringly.
Once all the students were inside, their teacher approached me and reported, "Everyone's here, Seir-kun. We're ready to go."
I turned and called out, "Lilith! Lory! We're leaving now!"
"Yes, Seir-sama!"
Lilith appeared beside me like a ninja, kneeling, while Lory yawned sleepily behind her.
I stepped into the driver's seat and started the engine.
"Hey, Seir... I've been wondering," the teacher said nervously from behind me, "Where exactly are we heading?"
"The Demon Realm."
"Eh?! It's not a dangerous place, right? They say demons are ruthless... that they rape humans and eat them alive! You're not taking us there just to feed us to something, right?!"
She sounded genuinely terrified.
"I can't deny that sexual assault exists—humans do that too—but eating humans? That's disgusting. Those are just bedtime horror stories to scare kids. We don't eat humans... unless someone feeds them to a demon beast."
"Hiiieee...!"
The teacher shivered in fear.
The bus started moving as I carefully crossed a shallow riverbed.
"No need to worry. As long as everyone listens to me, no one will get hurt."
Later that night, as everyone slept, the road ahead grew dense with trees and slowly became shrouded in fog.
"We're entering the Abandoned Woods," Lory said, glancing out the window, her voice bored. "Aren't there dangerous beasts and even ghosts in this place?"
"It's fine. 'Abandoned' means no humans travel through here anymore. The road's too narrow and overrun with trees for anyone else to pass through."
"Boss, we're being surrounded."
Lory frowned. I could also sense several creatures moving rapidly in the woods—too fast to see clearly through the fog.
"How troublesome..."
I sighed, stepped on the brake, and got out of the vehicle.
"I'll take a quick break. Guard the bus in the meantime."
"Yes."
I wandered toward a tree and started peeing, only to look up and see a giant wolf looming above me. Its red eyes gleamed in the fog as it drooled, staring down at its prey—me.
"I don't like your meat. Get lost."
"RAWR—!"
The beast lunged, but I was already on its back. I finished peeing and casually pissed on its head.
"What are you doing, you dumb mutt? There's nothing over there."
The wolf shook wildly to throw me off. I leapt down, zipping my pants just as it lunged again. I stepped on its snout and pushed its massive head down.
"RAWR!"
The skin of my right arm darkened, and my fingernails lengthened into razor-sharp demonic claws. Grinning, I dove forward and slashed its eyes.
It howled in pain.
As it thrashed about, I calmly sliced through its front limbs, then the back legs, leaving it crippled and wheezing in a pool of its own blood.
"This will serve as my warning to your pack."
Out of pity, I ended its suffering with a swift decapitation.
"Hm?"
More giant wolves appeared, slowly surrounding me. My right hand returned to normal, still soaked in blood. My sleeve was ruined—great, another shirt down.
"Ugh... I don't want the others to see this."
I crouched and collected the pooling blood, weaving it into thin red threads that danced around my palm.
"Blood Manipulation."
In an instant, the strings lashed out, binding the wolves by their limbs and necks. They writhed, unable to move.
"Shred."
Blood exploded in every direction as the wolves were torn into chunks like butchered meat.
I didn't care. Wolf meat was disgusting—too stringy, too gamey, and absolutely unhealthy for humans. I'd made that mistake once before. The only wild meat I'd allow near my friends was bear meat.
Leaving the mess behind, I returned to the vehicle.
Yuuka stirred awake and looked at me sleepily.
"Onii-sama... where did you go?"
She was sharing a blanket with Shiina, their heads resting together.
"Just took a break."
I sat back in the driver's seat. Lory rubbed her eyes, yawning.
"What happened, Boss? You took your sweet time."
"Just dealt with some mutts. We're moving."
We continued driving through the foggy woods.
The next morning, we stopped at a lakeside and I prepared breakfast. Everyone enjoyed the meal while I laid back on a cushion, using Shiina's lap as a pillow. A few girls watched as I relaxed.
"There he goes again... How can he be so laid-back in this situation?" Kaho-san muttered.
Elsewhere, at the peak of a cliff near a roaring waterfall, a beautiful woman knelt in prayer. Her long, silky green hair flowed behind her. Black crow-like wings flapped gently from her back. She wore a sleeveless white gown with a high slit, exposing her left leg. Barefoot, with bracelets on her ankles, she looked serene.
Her eyes opened suddenly, glowing gold. She turned and looked skyward.
A battalion of winged soldiers clad in silver armor descended from the clouds. Their leader landed, removed his helmet, and revealed a tall, muscular man.
"Former Captain of the 1st Division, Hecate! We are here to arrest you. Surrender and return to the Lumiere Kingdom!"
Hecate blinked, then tilted her head.
"Who are you?"
The angel commander's face twisted with rage.
"You witch! How dare you forget your superiors!"
"Well, you're not wrong. I'm now a Disaster Witch—the Witch of Humility—and I serve Demon Prince Seir."
"Hah! How far you've fallen. You were once a leader of our proud Angel race! Now you follow a half-breed outcast? A traitor?"
He laughed mockingly.
"At least he understood me. He helped me. I found people like me—outcasts. I'm happy to be one of them."
Hecate smiled. That smile made him furious.
"I'll make you regret this! Soldiers, kill her!"
A scythe appeared in her hand, and with one sweeping motion, she unleashed a whirlwind that cut down the entire battalion in an instant. Blood rained from the sky as broken wings fell.
"Gahhhh!"
The commander trembled and collapsed.
"If the Sky King hears about this, your punishment will be raised to execution! He'll descend himself and wipe you out!"
Hecate's expression darkened at the mention of the king.
Before she could reply, two familiar figures appeared behind the commander. Her eyes widened.
"Hannya! Naamah! It's been a while!"
"We have good news, Hecate," Naamah said, smirking. "But first..."
The red oni girl, Hannya, grabbed the angel commander by the neck.
"We heard you spouting some nonsense. Mind if we join the conversation?"
"Demons...!"
The man's face went pale. Hannya pressed her metal spike bat to his neck.
"You angels act so high and mighty, but you're no different from harpies and vultures."
"Shut up, you lowly beings! We are the chosen race of the heavens! You should be on your knees, licking our—!"
SPLAT.
His words ended when Hannya smashed his head into the ground, crushing it.
"Oops. My bad."
"Forget it," Naamah said. "He got what he deserved. Now, what's the good news?"
"I finally got in touch with Seir-sama. He ordered me to gather all the Disaster Witches."
Naamah pulled a glowing crystal ball from her dimensional pocket.
"What about Lilith? Isn't she with him?"
"Yeah, they both escaped the Demon King's Castle."
The crystal ball lit up, revealing Lilith's face.
"Naamah! We've been trying to contact you!"
"Eh? Sorry! I got busy!" Naamah laughed sheepishly.
"Anyway, I'm with Hecate and Hannya now. We'll look for Marah next."
"Seir-sama is currently resting. I don't want to disturb him."
"Wait... something's weird. Our connection—it's faster. Isn't it supposed to take longer between worlds?"
"That's because we returned."
All three witches gasped.
"We accidentally got summoned alongside the heroes. We're back."
"For real?!"
"Before you look for Marah, come find us in human territory. I'll update you with our exact location later."
"Got it."
"Talk later. I've got work to do."
The crystal dimmed, ending the call. The three witches exchanged grins and nodded.
"To the human territory. Seir-sama has returned."
They vanished into the wind.
--------
Several days later, we were camping in the woods during the daytime. I was resting from a long night of driving while everyone else worked together to prepare a meal using the huge mountain boar I had hunted from the wild. They needed to learn how to dismantle monsters themselves—otherwise, surviving in this world would be difficult.
I was speaking to Naamah through the crystal ball, with the other two Disaster Witches listening in as well.
Showing them a map, I pointed to a specific part of the border between the Land of Bestia and Human Territory.
"I want you girls to open a path here, along this part of the border, so we can pass through."
"But Seir-sama, that area is heavily guarded by the Alliance. They're currently at war with the beast tribes," Naamah said, frowning thoughtfully.
"It'll be a pain if we take a long detour. Our route will be much shorter if we go straight through their military defense line."
"Seir-sama, that's..."
"What? Is it impossible for you three? Do you need help?"
"No! That's not it, Seir-sama! The three of us are more than enough to destroy that place—it wouldn't even take long. It's just that..."
"What is it, Naamah?"
"Well, it might not directly affect us, but if we destroy that area, humans will think the beastfolk are conspiring with demons. That would escalate the war, drawing in more human countries into the Alliance. The beast tribes could end up overwhelmed and destroyed, with their refugees flooding into my territory, just like what happened with the elves."
"...I see. I get what you're trying to say. But in the end, I'll be the one who has to destroy that place from behind anyway."
"Ugh... I guess we really have no choice."
It was decided that they'd handle the task. Naamah still looked troubled.
"Uuuuugh..."
"We're talking about Seir-sama here. It always ends up like this. No point delaying the inevitable," Hannya said, patting Naamah's shoulder with a laugh.
"My territory's budget for this month...!" Naamah cried.
"I still have treasures I stole with Lilith from the Demon King's castle. You can use some for your funds."
"Seir-sama, thank you! Please marry me!"
That made me feel awkward.
"I think that's a bit..."
"You should at least say 'yes,' even if it's not possible!"
"After all, like Lilith, we're half-siblings. I should really be calling you my big sister, since we have the same father—the former Demon King. Prince Eligor didn't know that when he invited you to join his concubine selection."
Suddenly, I heard something drop behind me. When I turned around, I saw Yuuka and the other girls staring at me in shock.
"...Huh?"
Yuuka walked up and grabbed me by the collar.
"You and Lilith are half-siblings?! Is that true?"
"Yeah... her mother was human too, taken prisoner just like mine."
She turned to Lilith, who gave a small nod.
Yuuka sighed in relief.
"You should've told me earlier. I could've treated her like a little sister."
"She wouldn't like that. Her pride as my maid won't allow it—she's already sworn an oath to me."
Yuuka pinched Lilith's cheek.
"I almost misunderstood your relationship with him. I thought you liked him, but you're actually his little sister."
"Seir-sama is my master, not my brother. If I let him treat me like a sister, he'd spoil me rotten—and I don't want that."
Lilith winced from the cheek-pinch before Yuuka let go, leaving her with a swollen cheek.
"Yeah. I get it. I've seen how doting he is with Fuyumi too."
A few days later, we finally arrived near the border between human territory and the demon realm. But we hit a dead end—rocky mountains blocked our vehicle's path.
"I guess we'll have to walk from here."
"Eh...!"
Everyone's expressions clearly showed how much they hated the idea.
"Some of you gained weight from overeating! Think of it as hiking! Time to burn those extra calories!"
I snapped at them.
We started walking along the rocky path, trekking through mountains and cliffs.
By the time we reached the top, everyone was panting, but their eyes sparkled at the breathtaking scenery—birds of various species flew over the endless green canopy below.
"Wow!"
"This is amazing!"
Shiina looked like she was about to pass out, leaning on Lilith for support.
"I'm sorry I'm such a dead weight..."
"You should exercise more. Burn some of that extra fat."
"Ugh! I know I'm fat, okay..."
Her face turned red as she sniffled.
"Well, at least all that extra fat went to your chest. I'm jealous," Lilith muttered with a defeated look.
"Lilith!"
Only Kaho-san and I weren't sweating.
"Seir, let's go again. First to the next peak wins!"
"Sure."
The two of us raced ahead.
"Stop! Don't leave us! We're supposed to stay together!" Saeko-sensei shouted angrily.
"Mooo~"
"Okay, okay! Sorry! No more racing," I said.
Kaho just smiled and calmed her down.
Looking around, I noticed Riko sitting on a rock, sweaty and holding her right foot. I approached her.
"Riko, are you okay?"
"Oh—Seir-kun! I'm fine, really."
She forced a smile, but I could tell she was in pain.
"Let me check it."
"Huh?"
I knelt down, took off her shoe and sock, and couldn't help noticing how charming her legs were—until she caught me looking under her skirt.
"Stop staring, you perv!"
Blushing, she quickly covered herself.
"Sorry."
I looked back at her foot and noticed a surgical scar across her ankle.
"This is..."
I gently pressed on a spot—and she winced.
"Ouch!"
"You idiot! Why didn't you tell me about this?!"
I was frustrated—how could she keep something like this from me?
"I didn't want to talk about it."
"If I had known, I wouldn't have let you walk this far and strain yourself!"
"Just because we're old pals doesn't mean I have to tell you everything!"
"Hey, stop arguing, you two!" Yuuka stepped between us.
"Then what kind of relationship would make you tell me everything?"
"Eh?!"
Riko's face turned beet red as I leaned closer, staring into her eyes.
"Y-You're too close!"
She looked away and tried to push me back.
"I just want to make sure you're not lying."
"Don't look at me like that!"
She was completely flustered.
"Onii-sama..."
I felt a chill as I heard Yuuka's voice from behind—she was smiling, but her expression was terrifying.
Riko gulped, sensing the danger.
"Come with me. We're going to have a nice talk with Ayaka."
Yuuka grabbed me from behind and dragged me off.
"Riko!"
Riko stuck out her tongue at me with a smug grin.
"Bheh!"
Her face was still bright red as she looked away.
---------
On the frontlines between human and demon territory, an army of human soldiers stood united. With large shields raised, they formed a defensive wall, remaining vigilant as a thick mist blanketed the area. The dense atmosphere robbed them of sight—tension thick in the air.
Through the haze, three silhouettes emerged. One had wings, another bore sharp horns, and the third had short hair.
"Ufufu~"
A soft giggle echoed—then, from the fog, a massive reaper-like shadow wielding a colossal scythe swept through them in an instant.
"Huh?"
The wall of shields meant to protect them was sliced in half horizontally. Before they could react, many soldiers found themselves collapsing—upper bodies falling apart from their legs, unaware they had been severed. The entire battalion was annihilated.
The three demons stepped out of the mist, gazing down at the blood-soaked corpses.
"These are Imperial soldiers. Are you sure we're in the right place, Naamah?" Hannya asked.
"But this is the spot Seir-sama marked on the map," Naamah replied, double-checking.
"Hecate, you didn't leave any for us! I wanted to blow off some steam," Hannya complained.
"You can do that at the fortress later," Hecate said, resting her scythe on her shoulder.
"Remember, we're allowed to fight, but not to kill civilians," Naamah reminded them.
"Yeah, yeah. Seir-sama wrote that all over my palm. Maybe next time he'll tattoo it on my forehead," Hannya grumbled.
"Ufufu~ Just in case you forget, dear," Hecate teased.
"Hey, I'm not that—"
Suddenly, they all stiffened—something powerful was approaching.
A flash of light streaked toward them—and then bam!
"Arrrgh!"
Hannya screamed. Her shoulder was bleeding purple blood.
"What the hell was that?!"
Naamah rushed to heal her wound. As she cast the spell, they spotted someone behind her.
A little girl with long blonde hair and glowing golden eyes stood there, surrounded by flickering lightning. Her white kimono fluttered as sparks danced around her. She looked down at them coldly.
The three demons froze. Her divine aura overwhelmed them—they couldn't even twitch.
"No way..."
Hannya went pale. The girl held a sword—unlike any divine relic she had ever seen. Its power felt divine, suffocating—like they were standing before a god.
"Unfair..." she muttered, trembling.
"There's no mistake," Naamah said, eyes wide. "That's Fuyumi... Seir-sama's little sister."
"Wha—"
Hecate lunged forward with her scythe, aiming for the girl—but it was stopped by an invisible barrier.
"Huh?!"
Lightning fell from the sky, striking Hecate.
"AAAARRGH!"
She shrieked as her body was scorched. Barely holding herself up with her scythe, she glared in agony.
"Don't!" Naamah shouted, grabbing Hecate's wrist. "Stop!"
"But we have to fight her—!"
"Either way, we're dead."
"Huh?"
"If we fight her, she'll kill us. If we hurt her, Seir-sama will kill us."
"Then what do we do?!"
"I have one plan. Listen carefully," Naamah whispered.
When she explained, the others looked stunned.
"Are you serious?!"
"Seir-sama taught me this."
"Tch... This is our only way out."
Then, all three demons knelt.
"Meow~" Naamah purred like a cat.
"Mooo~" Hannya mimicked a cow.
"Bok bok bok bok~" Hecate—flapping her wings—pretended to be a chicken, face beet red.
The little girl tilted her head in confusion. She blinked, then yawned. Her overwhelming aura vanished, her hair and eyes dimming. She collapsed onto the ground and fell asleep.
The three demons sighed in relief.
"Man... this little girl is terrifying," Hannya muttered.
"What do we do with her now?" Hecate asked.
"We bring her back to Seir-sama. He's been worried," Naamah said, levitating the girl gently with magic.
"We'd better move fast... before she wakes up."
"Sounds scary..."
Naamah healed Hannya's wound quickly. "Alright, let's open the path for Seir-sama!"
Hannya spun her arms, grinning as she charged toward the enemy fortress.
"ORYAA! TAKE THIS!"
Her metal spike bat whirled through the air, sending enemy soldiers flying.
"AAAAHHHH!"
She whipped up a twister, tossing more troops into the sky.
"Take that!"
Bodies rained down as Hannya reached the massive gate.
"Open up! ORYAAA!!"
She smashed it apart, causing some soldiers to scream and flee at the sight of her wicked grin.
"That's right! Run, you cowards!"
Her red aura flared. Frozen in terror, the remaining soldiers couldn't react as she swung her bat again—blasting them with a shockwave.
"Hahaha! I'm not finished yet!"
She leapt and crashed into the ground, shattering buildings.
"Pressure!"
Sensing a threat behind her, she turned and punched—slamming an invisible attacker through a wall.
"Assassins, huh? Sneaky bastards."
She was surrounded by humans in full black, faces wrapped in bandages, daggers drawn.
"Disaster Witch of Patience, Hannya. This will be your grave."
"Oh? I'll wait. Entertain me."
The assassins laid spiked traps around her, boxing her in.
"You think this'll stop me?"
"We're not done yet—everyone!"
They launched large needles coated in poison that melted the ground.
Hannya spun her bat, deflecting them with ease.
"Not bad. Let's finish this."
At that moment, Naamah arrived on a broom, the sleeping Fuyumi in her arms. Hecate flew beside her.
"Stop wasting time! She might wake up!"
"Alright, alright. Let me wrap this up!"
Hannya tossed her weapon aside and brought her fists together.
"Demonic Manifestation!"
Her body expanded—horns lengthened, black marks spread across her skin. Her silver-white hair grew longer, her muscles defined and form still feminine. Her pale skin now looked human, but her power radiated raw demon might.
"Ufufu~ As expected of the Oni Princess. But still incomplete," Hecate teased.
"She's supposed to be our leader, yet always the one needing a push," Naamah sighed, pinching her nose.
"Okay! Let's end this!"
With her new form, Hannya picked up her spiked bat, resting it on her shoulder. Her now too-small dress clung to her tall, powerful frame, revealing her toned abs.
(To be continued.)