Volume 2: Chapter 1 - Part 7Author: 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.
(To be continued.)