Volume 2: Chapter 1 – Part 10Author: Geraint
While we were descending from the rocky mountains, I was carrying Riko on my back to prevent her from straining her foot, which had past injuries and had undergone surgery. Her classmates kept grinning at her the whole time, and she grew increasingly embarrassed.
"Seir-kun, can you put me down now?"
"No!"
"This is so embarrassing."
I could feel the piercing glares from Yuuka and Shiina behind me, and even Kaho-san was pouting while staring at me.
A gust of wind blew, and I caught the scent of something burning from a certain direction.
Suddenly, I sensed a powerful aura—it was coming from a strong demon.
"Seir-sama!"
I glanced at Lilith, and she nodded at me.
It was one of the Disaster Witches. They were finally here, just as we had planned.
After crossing another mountain, we finally arrived at the meeting point, where we found a burning fortress with soldiers evacuating. It was nearly sunset, and the sky had started to darken. Everyone was tired and exhausted, already wanting to rest for the day. I gently put Riko down and let her sit on a rock while the other girls began teasing her.
"Hey! Stop it!"
She grew flustered again.
"You guys stay here. Lilith and I will check on something. Lory will stay with you and guard the camp."
"Leave it to me, Boss."
Lory winked at me as she wrapped her arms around the guys nearby. While we were traveling, she had told me she already had daughters around our age and was looking for a decent partner among them.
Lilith and I left the camp and made our way to the nearby fortress, which was already crumbling.
We leapt from tree to tree, sneaking inside the fortress until we came to a stop. A sudden flash of light erupted, and I immediately pushed Lilith away to avoid her getting hit. The light pierced through the wall, leaving a huge hole, allowing us to see straight through to the other side.
"This power... a hero?"
I was stunned by the disintegrating force of the sudden attack out of nowhere.
"I'm sorry, Seir-sama."
Lilith stood up from the rubble and brushed the dirt off her skirt.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
We delved deeper into the fortress.
Scattered limbs and corpses littered our path—some appeared to be assassins based on their outfits.
Near the entrance, we found Hannya in her transformed state, struggling against a glowing blonde woman wearing a white robe and wielding a sword made of light. Hannya had several cuts on her body and was already reaching her limit. Eventually, she fell to her knees.
We also saw Naamah and Hecate unconscious and lying nearby.
"Damn you two! Help me out here!"
Hannya called out in desperation, but I noticed Naamah and Hecate were just playing dead.
Naamah sensed us and glanced in our direction, tears in her eyes.
"Seir-sama! Please help us!"
"Save us!"
I couldn't make sense of the situation—they weren't taking the fight seriously. But then, I understood why. The blonde woman turned toward us.
In a flash, she appeared in front of me, and my eyes widened in shock as I instantly recognized her.
"Fuyumi?"
It was Fuyumi, in her adult form—glowing blonde hair, golden eyes, and a stunning, curvy figure.
To think she would grow up to be this gorgeous...
But I snapped back to the moment when she suddenly swung her sword. I immediately bent backwards, narrowly avoiding the slash that sliced the fortress in half diagonally, causing the entire structure to collapse.
"That was close!"
Lilith crouched down just in time to avoid the blast.
"Seir-sama!"
I noticed something different in her eyes—a cold, empty look. I remembered how she used to smile so brightly every time she saw me.
But now... she was different. A heartless, cold-blooded hero. She attacked without hesitation, already wielding her divine relics—ones I hadn't even taught her to use yet.
"Lilith, go and help the others. Leave Fuyumi to me."
I stood tall and stared directly into her eyes.
"Demons shall perish!"
A blinding light flared in her palm as she drew it out, revealing a sword—no, a katana—which I had forged myself and sealed within her body. She swung it once to her side, releasing a devastating shockwave that carved a massive crater into the earth.
"Fuyumi, that's a dangerous toy. You shouldn't play with it, or someone might get hurt. Listen to your big brother."
I tried to reach her... but she didn't respond.
"Fuyumi—"
I was struck.
A powerful slash landed on me before I could even see her move.
"Huh?"
I looked down to see a massive gash across my torso, bleeding profusely and soaking my clothes with my own blood. The pain hit me all at once, and the reality sank in—my little sister was truly hostile toward me, and I had been brushing it off until now.
"Ugh!"
I dropped to my knees.
It hurt like hell—every one of her attacks was imbued with holy power, especially effective against demons like me. Her very presence was agonizing; her divine aura scorched my skin.
"Seir-sama!"
Lilith and the others rushed back in panic, but I raised my hand to stop them.
"Don't! I told you girls to get out of here! Leave her to me!"
I barked at them, scolding.
"But—"
"That's an order! Get back to the camp with the others!"
Lilith turned away, following my command, tears streaming down her face as she left with the others.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine."
I stood again, facing Fuyumi with resolve.
Using my own blood, I formed threads with my hand and began stitching the deep wound on my chest.
The surgical skills I learned from my father were proving useful now—my body wasn't regenerating fast enough to stop the bleeding.
Suddenly, Fuyumi launched several high-speed slashes. I barely kept up, using blood strings to block them, but she sliced right through and dispersed them with ease.
"Damn it! Fuyumi! Wake up! It's me, your big brother!"
I darted back, dodging all her attacks.
Coming in from the side, I used my blood strings to bind her limbs. She struggled, but soon broke free as her body's aura flared brighter.
"Tch!"
She raised her arm, summoning something from above—a massive, spinning golden magic circle.
"This..."
A colossal beam of light descended and struck me, scorching my entire body.
"AAAAAHH!"
It was one of the Sacred Relic's powers—an ability that calls down divine wrath from the heavens to incinerate enemies.
The Heaven's Judgment.
To be continued.
(A/N: AI Proofreading already fixed my mistakes.)