Chapter 14: Messed Up Group
Author: Geraint
The Holy Kingdom of Celestria—a highly religious nation and homeland of worshippers devoted to the Goddess of Light, Celes, from whom the country took its name—was located in the southeastern region of the world map. It held a vast territory in the eastern part of the continent and was one of the farthest nations from the war-torn frontlines that ravaged the land.
Steeped in prejudice against demi-humans and other races, as dictated by their teachings, the kingdom had long isolated itself from the rest of the continent.
In the capital, grand buildings and elaborately designed structures lined the streets. At its center stood a heavily guarded cathedral, with crusaders patrolling every inch of its grounds.
Deep within the church, an elderly man clad in pure white robes emerged from his chamber, adjusting his garments with the air of someone accustomed to authority.
Two maidservants quickly approached and bowed with grace.
"Your Holiness."
The Pope smiled at them serenely.
"Please tidy up my room... and bring me the next one for tonight."
"Yes, Your Holiness."
They bowed once more as the Pope departed with a satisfied look.
One of the maidservants opened the door and peeked inside.
A young girl lay on the floor, naked, her long black hair disheveled and her body bruised and bleeding. She crawled feebly across the room, sobbing. Blood seeped from between her legs—evidence of repeated abuse. Barely conscious, she glanced up at the maidservant, eyes pleading.
"H-Help me..."
The maidservant stood in silence, until her companion scowled.
"What are you doing? Finish her off already so we can clean! That heretic deserves it!"
"Aren't they supposed to be the summoned heroes from another world?"
"The Pope already found the real hero. He has no use for these ones... except for his own pleasure."
She drew a knife and handed it to the other.
"Here. Use this. Hurry so we can start."
The young girl whimpered, trembling in terror as the maidservant approached her with the knife.
"No! No! Please! Let me go! Don't kill me!"
"Sorry about this..."
The maidservant grabbed the girl by the hair and pulled her up.
"NOO! Forgive me! Please don't kill me—"
BANG!
A loud noise rang out. The maidservant standing by the door collapsed, struck in the head, dead.
"Huh?!"
The other maidservant froze in shock as her colleague dropped lifelessly to the ground.
Standing in the doorway was a blonde woman wearing a dark military uniform and sunglasses. She pointed a firearm at the maidservant's forehead.
Panicked, the maidservant let go of the girl and raised both hands.
"Answer me, or I'll blow your head off like I did to her!"
"Yes! Please don't kill me!"
"Where's that bastard Pope? Tell me where he is!"
The maidservant's face twisted in rage at the insult to her master.
"Don't dishonor His Holiness, you damn heretic!"
She dove for the knife, but a click echoed, followed by a bullet that struck her between the eyes. She collapsed backward.
The blonde woman rushed to the wounded girl, wrapping her in a blanket.
"Don't worry. You're safe now. I'm taking you with me."
The girl was too weak to respond, but tears streamed from her eyes in relief.
Carrying the girl on her back, the woman made her escape.
"Over there!"
A group of patrolling guards spotted them and gave chase.
"Tch."
The blonde woman clicked her tongue and pulled a device from her belt, tossing it behind her.
The guards halted, watching the object roll across the floor.
BOOM!
The hallway erupted in a violent explosion. She kicked open a double door but found herself surrounded—soldiers with spears pointed in every direction. She backed up slowly, only to find her escape blocked from behind by the pursuing guards.
"This is bad..."
A paladin stepped forward and gave a command.
"Get her!"
Just as the soldiers advanced, several from the rear suddenly vanished.
"Huh?!"
Looking back, their expressions twisted in horror. A monstrous, grotesque undead hound with no eyes had silently appeared, its massive jaws consuming their comrades with ease—armor and all—crunching bone like paper.
"How did that thing get in here?! What happened to the palace barrier?!"
The blonde woman's sunglasses fell to the ground, revealing her identity—Mia. Her eyes widened at the terrifying sight, and she stumbled backward.
"Oh, God... What the hell is that thing?!"
Her legs trembled. She couldn't move.
The undead hound, having finished its first victims, turned toward the remaining soldiers. It lunged forward, tearing through them like tissue.
"Help me!"
"Run!"
"NOOO!"
Those who tried to fight back were instantly crushed—some by its claws, others flattened by its bulk.
A group of priests arrived and began casting holy spells, but the creature was too fast. They couldn't land a hit.
More bodies piled up.
The only survivor was the lead paladin—badly wounded, bleeding, and kneeling.
The undead hound began regenerating its injuries effortlessly.
"Ehehe..."
The paladin laughed weakly.
"Oh Goddess Celes... Please save this poor man—"
The beast grabbed him in its maw, tossed him upward, and swallowed him whole before crunching down.
In the silence that followed, Mia, still carrying the unconscious girl, tried desperately to escape. Panting heavily, she muttered to herself.
"I need to get out... I can't die here... My children still need me..."
Her body was at its limit. She stumbled and fell to her knees.
"Ugh!"
She began crawling.
"I... can't..."
The undead hound was already before her, blood dripping from its mouth.
Mia pulled out her gun and pointed it, hands shaking.
"Go away!"
She pulled the trigger.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The bullets struck—but the hound didn't even flinch.
"No... This can't be happening..."
She felt utterly helpless. Her thoughts turned to her family.
"Yuuka... Yuki... I'm sorry, dear..."
Tears fell as she hugged the girl tightly and shut her eyes, accepting her fate.
But nothing happened.
Moments passed.
She slowly opened her eyes.
The hound was gone.
She looked around in confusion.
"What's... going on?"
------
It was dark in the mountains, so the students built a large bonfire to illuminate their camp atop the peak. Working together under the guidance of their class adviser, Saeko, they bustled about assigning roles to each member.
Saeko sighed, then smiled warmly as she watched her lively students carry out their tasks. Her gaze drifted to the demon woman lying on top of a boulder, calmly gazing up at the starry sky.
"Lory-san! Dinner will be ready soon!"
"I'll join later, once the Boss comes back."
Saeko gave a wry smile.
"I see. Thanks for your hard work."
"Yeah."
Lory was keeping watch after Seir left with Lilith. She'd been protecting the camp alone, her presence reliable and reassuring.
Saeko turned back to the students and spotted Riko with the other girls, working together to prepare their meal.
"Nishimiya Diner opening up soon!" Riko announced cheerfully, passionately stirring a large pot with a wooden ladle.
"Riko, is this enough?" Kaho asked, skillfully chopping wild ingredients the boys had gathered.
"Yeah," Riko nodded.
Just then, Yuuka and Ayaka returned from the forest with a bucket full of mushrooms.
"Look! We found a lot!" Yuuka said proudly.
As the bucket in Yuuka's arms caught the glow of the bonfire, the other girls paled.
"Yuuka-sama, I don't think we should eat those..." Ayaka murmured, eyeing the menacing mushrooms.
"They don't even look edible," Kaho added.
"Eh!?" Yuuka blinked in shock.
"Yuuka-tan is clearly inexperienced when it comes to survival camping," Riko teased. "As expected from a rich ojou-sama."
"Hey! I know I'm not good at this sort of thing. But we're in another world! We don't even know what kind of lifeforms exist here!"
"Don't worry, Yuuka-sama," Ayaka said gently. "Seir-kun taught me a little bit. I'll separate the safe ones."
She took the bucket of dubious mushrooms.
"Seriously?! He only taught you? What about me?"
"Well..." Ayaka hesitated, glancing away.
"What? That's not fair!"
Yuuka's eyes grew teary at Ayaka's silence.
"Ayaka! Why aren't you saying anything?!"
"...Seir-kun told me not to let you near the kitchen. You and your mother, Mia-sama, both suck at cooking."
"Wha—! Did he really say that?!"
"Yes..." Ayaka nodded solemnly.
"Onii-sama!!" Yuuka turned red with anger, but she couldn't deny it. Himiko, Ayaka, and Lilith usually handled all the housework as maids.
Kaho and Riko burst into giggles.
"ONEE-CHAN!"
Everyone turned to the source of the voice—Fuyumi came running toward Yuuka.
"Eh? Fuyumi?"
Yuuka caught her little sister mid-leap and hugged her tightly.
"How...?"
From the trees, Lilith emerged and bowed.
"We've returned, Yuuka-sama."
"Lilith? Wait! What about Onii-sama?"
"He's having a meeting with Naamah and the other Disaster Witches."
"But aren't you one of them?"
"My job for now is to bring Fuyumi here and watch over the camp."
Yuuka sighed and held her head.
"Where is he right now...?"
Meanwhile...
Just below the mountain where the students had made camp, I set up a smaller one by the river with the Disaster Witches.
"Seir-sama, what are your plans now that you've been forced to return to this world?" Naamah asked, biting into grilled fish Hecate had prepared.
"I still don't know. My top priority right now is everyone's safety," I replied, munching on fruit.
"I just don't get it. Why are you so friendly with those humans? Especially with that terrifying little girl—the hero," Hannya said, shuddering as she remembered Fuyumi nearly destroying her. If I hadn't stepped in, she might have been erased.
"For Seir-sama, Fuyumi is like a little sister. Even if they're not related," Naamah explained calmly.
"Why the hell is she so strong?! My manifestation form was completely annihilated by a kid who hasn't even awakened or learned to control her powers!"
"Well... she's the strongest hero in the prophecy. She possesses seven Sacred Relics and power rivaling that of a god. When word of her existence spread, all the nations went into a frenzy trying to harness her strength. They started summoning people en masse from other worlds, hoping to gain control. That panic even reached the Demon Realm," Naamah said, her tone serious.
My cheek twitched at her explanation, and I snapped.
"What the hell! Is Fuyumi some kind of SSS-rank character in a gacha game?!"
Hannya looked baffled. Hecate's golden eyes widened in fear, and she trembled.
"SSS-rank what?" Hannya asked.
"Gacha game?" Hecate repeated, confused.
Naamah chuckled.
"Don't worry. Everything's under Seir-sama's control. After all, he's the one who granted that unimaginable power to the little hero."
"W-WHAAAT?!" they both cried in unison.
Hecate swayed and fainted, only for Hannya to catch her before she hit the ground.
"Seir! Do you hate us that much?!" Hannya sobbed.
"Hate? You're my friends."
"You nearly got us killed!"
"Calm down! Fuyumi wasn't in her right mind. She was being brainwashed by the bastards who summoned her."
"How's that possible? None of my super-grade spells affected her," Naamah said, furrowing her brow.
"She stopped my metal club with her palm," Hannya added.
I sighed, remembering the day Fuyumi and our parents were taken.
"Our parents were likely taken hostage. They used Fuyumi's young age against her, manipulating her into obedience."
"So that's why she was on the battlefield—to test their control," Naamah muttered. "Fortunately, Seir-sama was there to stop her."
"They probably wanted to flaunt their 'prophesied hero' to the world and show off her destructive power," Hecate said as she finally stirred awake. She still looked shaken.
"Don't worry. I already freed her from the manipulation spell," I said. "It took some effort to cast while fighting her, but I managed. I traced the spell back to the Holy Kingdom of Celestria."
"That nation full of cultists?! I hate them!" Hannya snapped. "Always going on about their god while looking down on other races."
"I'm not even sure their 'Goddess' exists," Hecate muttered. "According to angelic history, there's no such being."
"Hehe... The only goddess I know is my little sister," I said with a smirk.
"Siscon," Naamah muttered.
"Hahahaha!"
I laughed, but my joy was cut short by a sudden chill crawling up my spine.
"Huh?"
Turning stiffly, I saw Yuuka standing behind me, her expression cold and unreadable.
"Onii-sama..."
Even as a demon, her voice made me shiver.
"Yuuka? What's wrong?"
Shiina peeked out from behind her.
"I'm sorry, Seir-kun. Yuuka-sama found out," she said, bowing.
"Found out what?" I asked, confused.
"That you were over here flirting with other girls while we were gathering food and cooking dinner!"
Yuuka grabbed my wrist firmly.
"Wait!"
"You're coming with me."
She dragged me back toward the mountain camp.
"Yuuka! Wait! I still have things to discuss with them. It's important!"
She stopped, then turned around and grabbed my face.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, she stood on tiptoe and kissed me right on the lips.
The moment she pulled back, her face turned bright red. She pouted and shot a glare at Naamah and the others, who didn't even seem phased.
"Yuuka, you're being pretty assertive today. Are you jealous of them?" I asked.
"I'm not..." she mumbled, looking away.
Lies. And I didn't even need lie detection magic to tell.
Yuuka wasn't usually the jealous type. She knew Naamah was my half-sister, and the others were more like family than anything else. I'd told her these stories before. So unless it was something deeper... It must be her fear again—that I'd grow too attached to this world and leave her behind.
She cried so hard when I once told her I planned to return to my original world. That all changed after Fuyumi was born.
"Alright, I'm coming with you. Just don't rush. The path's steep."
I scratched the back of my head, giving her a wry smile.
"Hmph."
She tried to act cold, but her red face betrayed her.
"Are you mad at me?" I asked.
"I'm sorry for not being able to cook... I really suck at it," she pouted.
"Well, I was once poisoned by your cooking. I can't even sugarcoat it—it was horrible."
"Ugh..."
"Can't be helped. You're a noble lady, after all."
"Aren't you supposed to be my big brother?"
"No brother kisses his sister on the lips like that," I said, pinching her cheek.
I turned to Shiina, who seemed lost in her thoughts.
"Shiina! What are you doing? We're heading back!"
"Ah! S-Sorry! I'm coming now!"
----
As we climbed back up the mountain toward camp, Yuuka still looked sulky—but her arms clung tightly to mine, refusing to let go. On my other side, Shiina walked in silence, fidgeting nervously the whole way.
"Shiina, what's wrong?"
I tried to get her to open up, but she only grew more flustered.
"I-It's nothing!"
"Really? Don't bottle it up. You can tell me."
"I'm fine, Seir-kun. Hehe..."
I sighed and reached over to gently pinch her cheek.
"Wah! Seir-kun, stop it!"
"Silly head."
"Why are you calling me that?! I didn't even do anything! Stop messing with my cheek—waaah!"
I finally let go, and she pouted.
"How horrible, Seir-kun..."
Her face turned beet red when I took her hands in mine.
"E-Eh!"
"Still not used to this?"
"But... they're watching..."
She whispered the last part in embarrassment.
"Huh?"
I turned—and sure enough, Naamah and the other Disaster Witches stood behind us, grinning like mischievous cats.
Naamah: "Seir-sama is such a lady-killer. I wonder how many hearts you've stolen already."
Hannya: "HAHA! As expected from Boss."
Hecate: "Ara ara~"
"Why are you guys following me? Go back to your own camp!" I snapped.
Naamah: "What are you talking about, Seir-sama? You're the True Demon King. Wherever you walk, we follow."
Hannya: "You still owe me a reward for helping you raid the Demon King's Castle, remember?"
Hecate: "We made a deal, Seir. Five years ago. Don't tell me you've forgotten~?"
"GO AWAY!" Yuuka barked at them like a tiny, furious puppy.
"He's coming home with us! He has no business here anymore! Grrrrr!"
The three witches simply giggled at her outburst.
When we reached the top of the mountain, a noisy commotion awaited us. The students were gathered in a tense circle.
"What's going on?"
"Seir-kun!" Riko, still limping from her injury, hurried toward me.
"Careful, Riko!"
I caught her just before she tripped.
"There's a fight..."
"Huh? Over what?"
Her face turned crimson.
"It's..."
Before she could finish, a male student was already on his knees, bruised and desperate.
"Saeko-sensei! I swear I didn't do it! Why won't anyone believe me?!"
Saeko looked helpless. Near them, Irina—the kidnapped princess from the Zelonia Kingdom—was crying over a pair of white panties on the ground. They were... well-used, and clearly violated.
"Uuuu... how horrible! What did I do to deserve this?!"
"No! It really wasn't me!" the boy pleaded.
"How disgusting."
"What an insolent creep."
"Stay away!"
"Shameless pervert!"
The crowd's cruel words stabbed into him like daggers.
"Somebody—please! I didn't do it! I didn't steal anything!"
"Then why were Princess Irina's panties on your bed? And clearly used! How disgusting!" Kaho shouted, face red with rage.
"M-Mizuno-senpai! I didn't do it!"
She grew more furious.
"Still denying it, you perverted basta—KYAAAH!"
I grabbed her by the waist from behind.
"That's enough, Aho-san."
"Seir, you bastard! Who are you calling an idiot?!"
She spun, swinging a stick at me, but I dodged each strike with ease.
"Where have you been?! We've been looking everywhere!"
"I'm back now. Let me handle this—I have a good idea of what really happened."
She froze, surprised.
"Really...?"
All eyes turned toward me as I approached the princess.
"Hehe... how innocent," I teased.
"Who are you calling innocent?! I'm an adult now!" Irina snapped.
"Ahem. Anyway..."
I turned to the accused student.
"Your name's Fuse Hiroto, right?"
"Y-Yes..." he nodded weakly.
"Let me ask you directly: did you steal Princess Irina's panties—her childish ones, at that?"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING CHILDISH?!"
Irina shrieked behind me. I ignored her.
"You'd have to be seriously twisted to jerk off with her underwear, you know."
"EXCUSE ME?!"
She lunged, but Saeko-sensei held her back.
"Akitsuki-san, please stop provoking her!"
"I-I didn't do it... I didn't steal anything..." Hiroto trembled.
I stared into his eyes for a moment, then sighed.
"Did you at least see who set you up?"
He hesitated, then glanced at a boy with bleached blond hair—who immediately turned pale when I locked eyes with him.
"W-What?! Why are you looking at me?! He did it! There's already evidence!"
I said nothing. I simply walked toward him, a faint smile on my face.
"Are you serious?! You're going to believe him over me?! This is insane!"
His panic was written all over his face.
"You're all insane! He's a demon! A monster! He's the reason we were summoned here! And now you're treating him like a friend?! Have you all lost your minds?!"
Yuuka clenched her fists, trembling with rage.
"You know NOTHING about him! How dare you—Shiina, let go! I'm gonna shut that damn mouth!"
"Yuuka-sama, please don't!" Shiina begged, holding her back.
Even the other students looked shaken. Yuuka, who usually exuded elegance, had snapped.
"See?! He's even brainwashed her! Look what he's done to her!"
"All right, that's enough. Stand down—all three of you."
The blond boy's voice died instantly as three shadows closed in on him.
A curved scythe hovered just below his chin—Hecate.
Hannya's enormous club loomed over his skull.
Naamah stood to the side, a glowing spell ready in her palm.
The boy fell back, legs trembling.
"Girls, calm down. I've got this," I said.
They backed off reluctantly. The students stared at the three in horror. The Disaster Witches had dropped their disguises—horns, wings, and all.
The blond suspect trembled, paralyzed. I knelt beside him and gave him a pat on the shoulder.
"You're right. Everything you said about me is true."
"H-Huh...?"
"But what can you do about it?"
I stood up.
"In the end, it's up to everyone else—whether they trust you or me. I'm not a good person. But I'm not evil either. I was willing to let this go... until you opened your mouth and shattered what little unity this class had left."
I turned to the crowd.
The students were visibly shaken. I could tell—many only followed me out of fear. Their teacher had already lost control.
It was time to settle things once and for all.
"Everyone! We're standing on the border between the human world and the demon realm. I'll give you until tomorrow to decide—whether you want to follow me, or stay on the human side."
"Either way is fine. I'll make sure you're safe, whether you come with me or part ways."
Gasps rippled through the group.
Some looked relieved. Others... conflicted.
But now, the choice was theirs.
(To be continued.)