Chapter 15: Splitting Apart
Author: Geraint
A little distance from the others, our tent stood in isolation. Most of the students avoided us—intimidated by Hannya and the others' threatening appearances. Inside the glamping tent I had set up, Fuyumi slept peacefully beneath the warm glow of a lamp. Outside, the rest of us sat around the bonfire in silence, still digesting the bizarre underwear theft incident. Thankfully, the culprit had confessed in a moment of astonishing stupidity, bringing the chaos to an end.
The class, however, was splintered—fractured into several cliques, each group attempting to persuade others to join them. Our young adviser, Saeko-sensei, with her silky rosy hair and perpetually tired eyes, was doing her best to pull everyone back together. But no matter how hard she tried, she was met with cold shoulders and outright rejection.
Frustrated and close to tears, she eventually spotted me watching from a distance. She stormed over, her expression tight with emotion.
"Why did you have to say that?! It's not just my class—everyone's falling apart!" she shouted, her voice cracking.
"Good for them," I said casually. "Good luck on their journey."
Her eyes widened. Then, unable to contain herself, she grabbed me by the collar, her hands trembling.
"What is wrong with you?! Don't you care what happens to them?!"
"Saeko-sensei, we're not in school anymore—we're in the wilderness. The moment that line blurred, people began realizing the truth. They're scared of this world. And now that they know I'm a demon, that fear has only grown stronger. I've already lost their trust. My leadership doesn't hold meaning to them anymore. To them, the Demon Realm is nothing short of hell. And maybe... parting ways is for the best."
Her lips quivered. Tears slipped down her cheeks.
"N-No way..."
"You've sensed it, haven't you?" I said, lowering my voice. "They didn't follow me out of respect or trust. They followed me out of fear. But that fear? It's become suffocating. Now they want freedom. Letting them go peacefully is better than forcing them to stay."
"Isn't there another way...?" she whispered.
"I don't think so. Why would they listen to a demon? Unless, of course, you want me to control them by force."
"You can't do that!" she gasped.
"Then this is the only choice left."
She released my collar and sank to her knees, defeated.
"Hey, Akitsuki-san..." she muttered weakly.
"What is it?"
"Can we really trust you?"
Her voice trembled.
"That's for you to decide," I said calmly. "What have I done so far?"
She hesitated. "Honestly... I knew. I felt the tension. I saw the unease building. But I didn't know what to do. And then... Yuuka-san. She never changed. Always smiling. It eased the others. She seems to truly trust you. So do Shiina-san, Mizuno-san, and Nishimiya-san. And Lilith... I couldn't believe it when she told me she was a demon, too. I'm lost. Should I follow you into the Demon Realm? Or stay with the others in the human territory? I'm a failure. Not just as an adult... but as a teacher. Heh... hehehe..."
Her laugh was brittle, a quiet breakdown veiled in humor. Tears streamed freely down her face.
I noticed something odd. Curiously, I reached out and brushed her bangs aside, sliding a finger down her cheek.
"A-Akitsuki-san?! W-What are you doing?" she stammered, her face turning crimson.
I rubbed my fingers on my pants, revealing a smear of thick foundation.
"You little—!"
Without hesitation, she punched me square in the stomach.
"Ugh!"
"You absolute SHIT!" she shouted, then stormed off, leaving me groaning in the dirt.
"I don't understand you at all! Do you think that was funny?!"
Naamah and the others watched calmly, sipping the soup I'd made earlier.
Naamah: "That was clearly your fault, Seir-sama. If you did that to me, I'd hit you too."
Hannya: "Hahaha! You really are a jerk, Boss."
Hecate: "You could've been nicer. She's trying her best to hold things together."
Still curled up, I stopped pretending to be in pain and stared up at the stars.
"She's a good person. A great teacher, actually. Because she truly cares. But..."
My gaze shifted toward the crowd of students assembling nearby. Groups were forming, tension rising. Some looked confident, others anxious—many just afraid.
"There are things only a demon's eyes can see," I muttered.
"How vile," Hannya growled.
"Even worse than what we saw earlier," Hecate whispered, her golden eyes glowing as she opened them slowly.
Then a tall, lean guy stepped forward. Handsome, muscular, and with black hair and sharp amber eyes, he oozed confidence. Some students even cheered for him.
"Friends! Classmates!" he called out boldly. "Think before you choose. Do you really want to follow that demon into the hell known as the Demon Realm? That's the worst decision you could make. It's obvious—we humans shouldn't ally with demons! They're the reason we were summoned here! We're suffering because of them! Why trust one?!"
"No!" voices rang out in agreement.
"Exactly! That guy killed human soldiers without hesitation. No remorse! He's dangerous!"
"Pfft. Hahaha!"
I laughed aloud, unable to hold it in.
"Someone get this guy into politics. He's got the talent."
Naamah gave me a concerned look. "He and many around him... they're radiating malice, Seir-sama. If you let this fester, it could get dangerous."
I just yawned. "Nah, it's fine."
Lying back, I closed my eyes as the self-proclaimed leader continued.
"I'm forming a group to bring everyone to safety! Join me, and we'll survive!"
Then, a new voice cut through the crowd—clear and annoyed.
"Are you done? Because I'm trying to sleep."
Yuuka stood there, stifling a yawn. Shiina nervously peeked out from behind her.
"Oh, the idol speaks," the guy smirked. "Yuuka-tan, I don't know why you're clinging to that demon, but you're clearly being deceived. Come with us."
Yuuka furrowed her brow.
"Are you seriously brain-damaged?"
"What...?"
"I've lived with Seir for over four years. Why would I listen to you? And who even are you? You're not from my class."
The crowd murmured in confusion.
The guy clenched his fists. "My name doesn't matter! That guy's a demon! He'll get you all killed!"
Yuuka's expression softened into something surprising: a genuine, radiant smile. Not the one she used on stage. A real one.
"I'll follow him, even if it's to hell."
She turned her back to the crowd.
"Ayaka. Lilith. Let's go."
The two followed her without hesitation. Kaho and Riko exchanged a glance, then joined them as well.
Yuuka paused and looked back over her shoulder with a teasing smile.
"Oh, by the way. Those fancy portable toilets? Way too bulky to carry. Good luck taking a dump in the woods."
Stunned silence.
Then a girl shouted, "No way! I'd rather go to hell than crap outside!"
A wave of girls quickly followed Yuuka and the others.
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The next day—
In a secluded area near the camp, shielded by the towering presence of a massive, ancient tree, a handsome boy sat slumped against its gnarled roots. His posture radiated defeat and simmering frustration, the aftertaste of yesterday's humiliating speech still fresh on his mind. His plan had unraveled, and the bitter sting of failure gnawed at him.
"That damn bitch..." he muttered darkly.
He abruptly stood up and stomped on the twisted roots beneath his feet, the veins on his neck bulging with anger.
"If it wasn't for her... if she hadn't interfered, my plan would've gone perfectly! I just needed one last push to turn them all to my side!"
Behind him, a gang of delinquents lingered in the shadows—rough-looking guys who shared his resentment. A few girls lounged nearby as well, their appearances flashy and rebellious, with bright hair clips, lip piercings, and glimmering studs framing their faces.
"What can we even do?" one of the girls muttered bitterly. "Yuuka's practically the queen bee of the class. She's the most popular girl in school—and a famous idol to boot. Money, fame, beauty, and perfect grades... she's got everything we ever dreamed of. No wonder people worship her. It makes me sick that someone like her even exists."
"Oh yeah? But that queen bee can't even cook a proper meal," a guy behind her snickered.
"Who cares? If you're rich—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Her voice trailed off, caught in her throat as she recognized the chillingly familiar voice. Slowly, she turned—and froze. Standing right behind her was Seir, silently observing the group. Cradled in his arms was his sleepy little sister, Fuyumi, who blinked groggily in the morning light.
"E-Eh...!?"
The group stiffened immediately. Shock and fear rippled through the gathering as they realized they'd been discovered. A few stumbled backward in panic, while others dropped to their knees under the oppressive weight of Seir's presence.
"It's Seir!"
The tension was palpable. No one dared speak as Seir calmly stepped forward, his eyes scanning the group.
"What are you all doing here?" he asked, voice low but firm. "It's time to decide—are you coming with me, or staying behind in human territory? Is this all of you?"
Their self-appointed leader stepped up, refusing to cower. He met Seir's gaze head-on.
"I'm staying. I'm not following you. I can't stand the idea of serving under someone like you."
"Well then," Seir said with a faint grin, "thanks for the honesty. I'm honored."
"Tch... That smug attitude of yours pisses me off. You act indifferent, but I can see it in your eyes—you don't think we're even worth your time. Just like a demon. You think everything will go your way? You're wrong. I'd rather die than follow someone like you!"
With those parting words, the leader brushed past Seir, his supporters following behind—though a few cast uncertain glances back. Seir exhaled slowly and turned away, adjusting Fuyumi in his arms as she drifted back to sleep.
Back at the camp, the split was now clear.
The group had divided nearly in half. Most of the boys had sided with the arrogant leader, while Seir's side was mostly girls—many of whom were Yuuka's friends or quiet admirers. A few boys lingered on Seir's side too, mostly the shy ones, the outcasts, and the "nerds" who didn't get along with the loudmouths. Honestly, Seir could relate—he himself had always been a bit of a loner, never surrounded by many friends.
Meanwhile, the teacher Saeko-sensei remained in her tent, sobbing quietly. She had failed to keep the class united, and the weight of that failure weighed heavily on her.
A few girls still hovered near the middle, uncertain and anxious. The rival leader, spotting them, approached with a rehearsed smile that barely masked his manipulation.
"Come with us," he urged smoothly. "It's safer on our side. You'll regret staying."
But just as the girls hesitated—
"NO!!"
Out of nowhere, Riko lunged toward them and embraced the three girls from behind, clinging to them tightly.
"Aki-chan! Tsumugi-chan! Umeko-chan! Please don't leave me!" she wailed, burying her face into their backs.
The girls were stunned. "Eh?! Riko-chan?"
"I don't want to be alone... Stay with me. I'll be so lonely without you!"
With a teary-eyed smile and a wink toward Seir, Riko gently tugged the girls over to their side. Moved by her emotional plea—and the warmth of her affection—the three had no choice but to follow.
The ripple effect was immediate.
Seeing Riko's heartfelt display, several other girls on the opposing side changed their minds and rushed over. A few boys did the same, glancing back nervously before making their decision.
Now, Seir's group had grown larger.
Each departing member from the other side was given a supply bag that Seir had prepared, packed with travel essentials. He handed their leader a detailed map—without a word, the boy snatched it and stormed off, his pride wounded. They disappeared down the path from the top of the mountain.
"They really left..." Riko murmured, visibly downcast.
"That was their choice," Seir replied. "Everyone walks their own path. We can't force them."
With Fuyumi still in his arms, Seir turned back toward the camp.
"Let's go."
According to Saeko-sensei's records, there had originally been 53 students—not counting Princess Irina, Lory, Fuyumi, and the newly arrived three Disaster Witches. Now, with 24 students choosing to leave, only 35 remained.
After everyone finished packing, their belongings were safely stored into our dimensional storage. At last, they began their descent to the other side of the mountain—toward the demon realm.
Several days later—
A heavy downpour forced the group to seek shelter in a rocky cave near the base of a cliff. Rain hammered the forest, and the air turned frigid. The students huddled together, shivering from the cold, their clothes damp and their spirits weary.
They were still traversing the unforgiving mountain border, but according to the map, the demon realm lay just beyond.
Eventually, they emerged from the forested peaks, their tired eyes widening at the landscape that stretched before them.
It wasn't what they had expected.
Rolling plains of tall, lush grass rippled under the soft breeze. Isolated trees dotted the horizon, and a wide river sparkled nearby, its waters teeming with silver-scaled fish swimming freely with the current.
"It's... beautiful," someone whispered.
"We'll camp here tonight," Seir announced, planting a marker on the soft earth.
Tents were pitched. A bonfire was lit, its flames crackling as warmth returned to the travelers. Dinner was eaten quietly, and one by one, the students fell asleep under the open sky.
As the night deepened, a gentle wind rustled the grass. Seir sat by the fire with Lory and Hannya, keeping watch while the others rested.
Then—he heard it.
A faint rustling in the distance.
Lory's pointed ears perked up. She stood, alert.
"There are two of them," she said softly.
Seir yawned and stretched. "Hannya, drag them out."
Hannya stood with a smirk and limbered up.
"Leave it to me."
She dashed off into the tall grass, her speed almost supernatural. The intruders sensed her immediately and tried to flee—but Hannya was faster.
"Gotcha!" she yelled as she tackled one of them.
"NYAAAAAH!!"
A high-pitched scream rang out.
Seir blinked.
"Wait... was that... a catfolk?"
-----------
When morning arrived, all of them were very shocked when they woke up and saw two small girls with cat-like features tied and hanging upside down, their mouths covered with cloth, on the branch of a nearby tree. One of them had black hair, while the other was white, both having cat ears and tails, with furry humanoid hands and feet. Both of them woke up and started to panic when the humans began to gather, surrounding them. Being watched by intrigued gazes, they tried wiggling around, but it was hopeless—the rope showed no sign of rupturing.
"There's no way! It's cat girls!" one of the nerd-looking guys spoke in awe to his friends.
"They really exist! A half human, half beast!"
The girls were struggling against the urge to cuddle the two catfolk, their itching hands wanting to touch them.
"How cute!"
"I want to bring one home!"
"They are adorable! I want to cuddle with them!"
"Naamah! Hecate! Look what we caught last night!" Hannya walked through the crowd with her fellow disaster witches and showed the two catfolk she had captured.
Naamah repositioned her eyeglasses and looked closely at the two small beastfolk.
"Those two are... aren't they catfolk? One of the Beastmen tribes. What are these little kids doing here near the border of the demon realm? This place is dangerous!"
"That's why Boss wants me to punish those two for not listening to their village elders. We will show them how scary humans are." Hannya took off the cloth from their mouths.
"NYAAAAH! HELP US! They're gonna eat—"
The white cat girl screamed, and the black cat girl became teary-eyed, wailing in fear.
"MAMA! I WANNA GO HOME! NYAAAH! HUMANS ARE SO SCARY!"
Naamah snapped her fingers, and the rope binding the two little catfolk loosened. They fell to the ground.
"NYAAAH!!"
Finding themselves surrounded, they immediately ran towards a tree and climbed up the branches until they found a safer place to hide. Trembling in each other's arms, they looked down from above.
The students were disappointed when they saw the two run away and hide behind the branches.
"By the way, where's Seir-sama? Didn't he stay up late with you watching the camp?" Naamah asked Hannya, who sighed, remembering what happened earlier before dawn.
"Boss was woken up by his little sister's crying, so he decided to walk her around near the river."
Naamah sighed too, glancing at the students around them.
"Seir-sama must be really tired, babysitting all these people from another world. His hands are already full with his new family."
"We wouldn't need to travel this hard if we could just travel by air," Hecate said while flapping her black wings.
"Seir-sama might not show it, but he really cares for these people, especially for those close to him. He's learned to be compassionate while living in another world," Naamah said, and Hecate nodded.
"Yeah. Same with Lilith. She always sticks close to those two girls named Yuuka and Ayaka if she isn't with Seir-sama. I don't remember her being friendly like this. She used to be quiet and difficult to have a conversation with in the past. Now, she seems more approachable."
"Hey! Don't forget that I also can't fly like you guys!" Hannya complained, and the two just stared at her.
Naamah shrugged.
"Well, you could just ride on Eisheth's back, but she's still not here with us. Speaking of her, we are currently at the border of her territory. This is the Beast Kingdom, after all."
"Ufufu~ Eisheth is someone who can't stay in the same place. She's a chimera with the bulky body of different ferocious beasts, but her diet is only grass. She must be looking for a better place with richer pastures." Hecate giggled.
"She's a strange one indeed. Quirky and unpredictable," Hannya agreed.
Meanwhile—
Seir was very restless as he tried to calm down his little sister Fuyumi, who was crying loudly while standing on top of a rock.
"MAMA!"
"Fuyumi, your big brother is trying his best to find Mom. We'll find her soon, okay?"
He was already doing well taking care of his little sister, but there was something he lacked—something he could never provide for her: the warmth of a real mother. After being separated from her for so long, Fuyumi eventually began to miss her and cry, making things difficult for Seir. Now, with Fuyumi in this state, it was even tougher.
Turning towards his personal maid Lilith, he became teary-eyed and hopeless.
"Lilith, please help me!"
Lilith felt equally troubled.
"Seir-sama, if you can't do it, what can someone like me do?"
Seir glanced at the other girls in school uniforms, asking for help with just a look.
"Sorry, Seir-kun, but I'm the only child in my family. I've never had experience looking after younger siblings," Riko said.
Both Yuuka and Shiina shook their heads.
"It can't be helped then..."
Kaho, who was in her training hakama, approached Fuyumi and gently took her into her arms, embracing her like a real mother.
"Nao-chan was like this from time to time in the past, so I'm used to it."
Fuyumi finally calmed down in her arms, and Seir looked at her in awe.
"Amazing! As expected from Kaho-san. You'll be a great mother in the future!"
Kaho's face turned red and embarrassed by his words.
"Yuu-kun, stop it! It's embarrassing!" she muttered softly so as not to disturb the child in her arms.
"But it's true. Look how well you handled one of the most difficult parts of being a mother."
Hearing that, Kaho's blush deepened, reaching her ears. She wanted to pay him back for making her this embarrassed.
"If I'm going to be a mother... t-then who will be the father?" she asked, her strange question making the three girls behind her frown.
Seir just stood there cluelessly for a moment, then thought about her words.
"Well... I'm your fiancé, so... probably... it would be me."
There was an awkward silence because of Seir's lack of embarrassment.
"Sorry, but can you girls look after Fuyumi for the time being? I still need more sleep. We still have a few days left in camp to rest our bodies from the fatigue of travel."
His restlessness was completely visible with the dark circles under his eyes—he really needed to sleep.
(To be continued.)