Side Chapter 16

"Hmm, right there... That's the spot... Oh, that feels great..."

Irene is currently laying on the bed on her front.

"Keep going... Haah..."

She's currently being massaged by Kai the abyssal human.

Kai obediently listened to Irene's command and executed it with perfection.

"...I'm bored..." Margit who's seated nearby groaned.

"Mnn~? Why don't you also get a massage from Kai? Her massage feels great you know..." Irene said with a sigh.

"I'm not that old that I needed a back massage, mom..." Margit deadpanned.

"Hoo, are you implying that your mom here is an old lady?" Irene squinted her eyes at her daughter.

"Muh, I do know that dad's younger than you and- I'm sorry..." Margit stopped her words mid-sentence seeing her mom's blazing fist.

"Hmph!" Irene snorted: "Wait for a bit and we'll go sightsee around the city."

"Yes, ma'am..." Margit said with a salute.

Fiuh... That was close... Margit secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

There are three things that their mothers find unfair about their father...

First, it's his unlimited stamina. They said their father could easily 'fought' all of their mom at the same time and he will still be on top... Whatever they mean by that... She's not really sure...

Secondly, it's his otherworldly looks. They're doing their best to maintain their beauty but they still couldn't beat him in that field as well...

And last but not least, it's his age... More than 95% of their mom is older than their dad. Margit didn't really understand why they're so fixated on this as well.

She means, aren't they all immortals? What're a few years of age disparity will do to them? Absolutely nothing...

Hence, those three things become a taboo discussion between their mom's...

After a few moments, Irene finally finished her massage.

"Thank you, Kai." She said towards the waiting Kai.

"It's what we supposed to do, mistress." Kai said with a bow.

"Now come, daughter... Let's go."

"Alright!"

The two of them left their lodgings and Kai hid herself once again.

"You might want to change your clothes, mom." Margit pointed out.

"Eh? Do I really have to?" Irene whined: "These clothes are so easy to move around with you know?"

"Yeah, I know but you will attract too much attention to yourself." Margit sighed.

"Hah, we will still attract attention no matter what your mother wear, dear... But fine."

Irene stored away her witch outfit and took out a set of sweater outfit and black jeans.

"There, happy now?"

"Mm, much better."

During their little trip around the metropolis... They still attract a lot of attention to themselves just like Irene said before.

A beauty will attract attention no matter they go after all.

"This should be Tokyo," Irene muttered while ignoring a group of men who are trying to strike up a conversation with them.

"This world is quite advanced, aren't they?" Margit said and unlike Irene, she doesn't take being surrounded by other people very well: "Go away! We're not interested!" She spat at the annoying group of men.

"In terms of technology, yes. At least more advanced than most 'Japan' we've visited." Seeing that her daughter feeling annoyed, she used simple hypnotic magic and made the group of men disperse.

They then walked around the city for a while...

"Muh? There's a group of those things inside that cafe." Margit mumbled smelling the scent of blood wafting from an antique-looking coffee shop.

"Not as concentrated on other places though... It's quite thin, actually." Irene responded: "Let's take a look."

Opening the door to the shop, the two of them are welcomed by a blue short-haired waitress girl with bangs covering her right eye.

"...Welcome." She said after a brief pause.

The other employees also stopped their movement to look at the two newcomers.

Their body 'fragrance' is unbelievably sweet that they're having a hard time controlling themselves.

There are other guests in the shop and they're similarly captivated by Irene and Margit's sight but for a different reason.

"Hmm, not a bad place... Looks comfy." Margit said while looking around.

"U-Umm, can we get you two anything?" The same waitress asked them nervously.

"Hmm, I'll take a cup of coffee... How about you, dear?" Irene responded.

"Same."

"Same? You want to drink coffee as well?" Irene raised one of her eyebrows at her daughter.

"I want to give it a try!"

"It's quite bitter, you know."

"I know, dad has told me before but I'm still curious."

"Alright then... Don't say that mom didn't warn you..." She sighed: "That will be all." Irene said towards the waitress

"U-Understood. Then please take an empty seat." The waitress bowed and hurriedly excuses herself.

Staying too close around them is not good for her self-control.

After taking an empty seat, both of them started talking with each other.

"All of the employees in this shop is one of 'them'." Margit pointed out.

"I know... But they seem more 'tame' compared to the others we fought yesterday." Irene said.

Irene rested her upper body on the table while cupping the left side of her cheeks.

This action just made a certain body part of hers stood out even more.

The men gazed at her with eyes filled with lust while those who are with their girlfriend just earned them an ear twister...

"O-Oi, look at those two!" A yellow-haired youth wearing headphones who are seated not far from them whispered to his friend.

"..." His friend is a black-haired youth holding a book in his hand but he's too captivated at the mother and daughter sight to properly pay attention to his friend and book.

"I wonder if that girl is still single." The yellow-haired youth said with a grin: "Her mom is also very beautiful but sadly she's already married. I mean just look at her body that put supermodel to shame, her husband is a very lucky man. If I didn't overhear that girl is her daughter then I might've thought that they're sisters instead... What do you think? Oi?"

"Eh? Ah? Yes." His friend finally snapped out of his daze.

"...Yes what?" He said speechlessly.

"Tch, a bunch of pervs!" Margit spat.

"Hehe, that's just how men are, dear." Irene chuckled.

"Dad's not perverted though."

"Oh, I wonder about that... If your dad's not a pervert then the number of moms you have won't be in the thousands, you know?"

"Muu... Dad's different from these leechers. He didn't just ogle at any woman that he sees. He only accepts those who are truly worthy to become our new mom!"

"Well, true. But you still can't deny that he's a pervert at the end of the day... Not that it's a bad thing I mind you. If your dad's not a pervert then all of you won't be born."

"That's right! If dad is a pervert then it's fine! He has the right to be a pervert after all!" Margit said proudly.

"You brats really are biased to your old man... You fathercon of a daughter." Irene shook her head helplessly.

"But of course!" Margit pushed her chest forward taking pride in being a fathercon... What's fathercon anyway? She thought secretly inside her mind... but since it has 'father' in it then it must be a great thing!

Just like her other younger sisters, Margit doesn't really know what 'fathercon' means.

While the two of them are still chatting with each other, the purple-haired waitress brought their order: "H-Here's your coffee."

"Oh, thanks," Irene gives a faint smile.

"If you need anything else then don't hesitate to call me." She said before scampering away.

Irene smirked at this sight and then she tried the coffee: "Mm, it's not bad."

"Bleh! It's quite bitter!" Margit on the other hand stuck out her tongue at the bitter taste.

"Told you so." Irene gives a faint laugh.

"Muh... Since dad's able to drink this then as his daughter I should be able to as well!" Margit persisted.

"Good luck."

While they're still taking their time, a long purple haired customer wearing glasses shivered on the spot.

"...I warn you... Don't make any trouble in this place." The purple-haired waitress said coldly to the customer.

"..." But the customer ignored her words and she keeps looking at Irene and Margit intently.

"Well, as nice as this is... being stared by so many of your kind isn't very nice. Do you also want to eat our flesh?" Irene turned her head and lock her gaze with her.

Not only her, but the other shop employees also had their bodies jerked at her words.

Seeing their sweating profile, Irene gives a faint smirk... This should be interesting...

...

"Hello? Oh? It's rare for you to call me... Hmm, I see..." Issei is responding to a phone call while he's observing Setsuna who's currently assessing a group of slaves arranged by the slave master.

"A video call? Alright..." Issei replied before he opened a video feed: "So... What do you need me for, Lelo-"

But to his surprise, the one who's on the other side of the video is not only one person.

"""Your Majesty!!!""" An angry and also excited voice resounded clearly coming from multiple people.

"..." Issei becomes speechless at this sight.

"Sorry, Issei-san... But they forced me to do this." The young man who called Issei first said in an apologetic voice.

"Your Majesty, where are you right now?! How long are you planning to leave everything to me!" A woman with long fuchsia hair and lavender-colored eyes glared at Issei menacingly.

"Hold on..."

"Your Majesty, when are we going to hold our wedding~?" A Japanese looking woman with long black hair and green eyes said.

"Hah? When did-"

"Your Majesty~, my research needs more funding... When are you going to send me more funds for my research?" An attractive woman with brown skin and bright blonde hair asked lazily.

"Wait..."

"Your Majesty, when are you going to bring me to your world to play?" A beautiful woman with pink hair styled downwards with two buns on each side of her head said with a smile: "By the way, your current outfit really suits you, your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty...!"

"Your Highness...!"

Issei rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration seeing the commotion before him.

"Fufufu." Tamamo chuckled seeing her husband's current situation.

"...Don't just laugh..." Issei sighed: "Why are they still calling me 'Your Majesty' anyway? I never said that I will be their king, didn't I? Also, didn't C.C the one who's responsible for their world?"

"Well, you basically turned that world upside down, dear hubby~. As for that pizza girl, you know well just how laidback she is." Tamamo chuckled before she continues speaking: "You overturned the throne and you also erased most of the corrupted governing system and freed the oppressed citizens and you also solved most troubles that world has and also..." She starts counting his 'achievements' during his stay in that world.

"Stop... I understand what you're trying to say but..." Issei stopped his wife.

"But you're confused why they think of you as their 'King', right? Well, try to think for a bit, hubby... Any sane person would consider you as their new king after all you've done." Tamamo said amusedly: "Anyway, I better leave you to your call~" She then took some distance from her disgruntled husband.

""Your Majesty!"" Issei groaned at this... He should've guessed this when he received the call...

"A-Are they up to your satisfaction, milady?" The bald slave master who looks a little overweight asked with a strained smile. He keeps rubbing both of his hands together trying to ease his nervousness...

The group of people in front of them are super VIP! His head will roll one way or another if he were to piss them off!

"Hnn... Some of them are badly malnourished, aren't they?" Setsuna squinted her eyes at the slave master.

"Th-They are the slaves that we've recently get so we don't have the time to properly feed them!" The slave master reasoned.

The slaves are of different races, ranging from demons, demi-humans such as elves, beastmen, dwarves, and also humans.

Chiyuki's group is also not far away from them but Reiji is not amongst them whereas Rena has already been taken away by her valkyries... with some difficulties since she kept trying to break free just to get her hands on her target.

They are shifting uncomfortably in their place since some of the slaves seem to be glaring at them with pure utter hatred... Some even are still children...

They're mostly of the demon race while few in between are demi-humans.

"My oh my... All of you seem to be quite hated, aren't you?" Tamamo's 'shocked' voice resounded nearby them.

Their bodies flinched at her words.

Tamamo smirked at their reaction. The guilt-ridden complexion they have is quite entertaining for her.

If before they're shown the truth then Chiyuki's group won't feel anything about it. They will think that they are in the right, but now...

Knowing their action cause more harm than good, they couldn't help but feel guilty. Especially when some of those slaves who are looking at them with hatred are still children...

It's a no brainer that the cause of their hatred is them since they most likely killed their parents or close relatives.

"Well... When you girls are in need of assistance then just tell us. For a price of course~" Tamamo flashed a calculated grin at them.

"...May we ask what do you mean?" Chiyuki for some reason feels uncomfortable seeing her gaze. And that foreshadowing from Setsuna the other day still lingers inside her mind...

Why are they keep saying that they will come to regret their decision? Well, Setsuna said that to Sahoko but still... Just what is it they're hiding from them?

"Fufufu... I won't spoil things but I guarantee that you will need our help in the near future~" Tamamo said with a chuckle.

"Why don't you just help us now?" Chiyuki reasoned.

"Help you now? I don't really mind but what are you going to pay us with? We won't just take some random things you know?" Tamamo moved her left index finger from side to side.

"What do you want then? Perhaps we can get it and give it to you..."

"Oh, dear... If there's really something that we wanted then even without your help we will be able to get it so don't you think it's useless to set that kind of payment? What I want is quite simple actually..." Tamamo smirked.

"...And that is?"

"Your vital origin." She said simply.

"Vital Origin? What is that?" They asked confusedly: "Is it our... lives? Or perhaps soul?"

"Oh non non... I'm not a violent and barbaric fox and I'm also not a devil~. What I mean by your vital origin is... the essence that's currently holding your existence as a human being... You see, every creature has a vital origin that defines what their race is... Such as me for example, my <Vital Origin> is that of a youkai. If my <Vital Origin> is removed then I will cease being a fox youkai and I would've turned into a normal fox at the end of the day." Tamamo explained.

There are still some things that she's hiding but they don't know that... Also, she's not just a "youkai" anymore but rather a Goddess.

Of course, they didn't know that.

"So you're saying that... You wanted our <Vital Origin> as a payment?" Chiyuki gulped.

"Yes! Your <Vital Origin> will be the payment for your request... You will stop being a human but you will still be alive so I still think that is a favorable situation, right?" Tamamo grinned slyly at them.

"..." They didn't know how to respond to this... but one thing for sure... Chiyuki's intuition is telling her that what Tamamo said will truly come to pass.

If they wanted to stay alive in the future then maybe they will have to stop becoming a human...

'They're so gullible! It's just like how Cat would play with their prey, woof!' Tamamo who seems to be wearing a cat paw and cat ears said.

'Indeed they are... But I rather play with hubby more rather than these kids. Hey, Vitch, let's jump on Master tonight. And you also need to switch already! Don't hog hubby all to yourself!' Tamamo who's wearing a swimsuit and holding a parasol said.

'That's right! I'm supposed to be the dominant persona so how come you have more screen time than me!' The original Tamamo who's wearing a blue kimono complained.

'What she said.' Tamamo who's wearing a school outfit followed next.

Within Tamamo's soul, the other 8 Tamamo are bickering around.

'Oh, no need to be so rowdy... It's only been a few days, it's not that long.' Tamamo Vitch who's currently the one who's controlling the main body said.

'4 days, 2 hours, 10 minutes, 1 second, it doesn't matter! Every second we get to spend with hubby is priceless!' A grumpy looking Tamamo bemoaned.

'That's right desuwa!' A curly-haired Tamamo huffed.

'Well, can't argue with you on that one...' Tamamo Vitch giggled to herself.

'Why don't you just skewer that idiotic boy for looking at us with such perverted eyes before anyway? Only hubby is allowed to look at us in such manner!'

'Skewer him? That would dirty our hands, just burn him to cinders!'

'You lot truly lack elegance... Killing him outright is too merciful and it will only make us look petty. When his borrowed power runs out, only then he will know true despair... By then, we won't have to do anything and we would also get a new toy in the process~' Tamamo Vitch smirked with a calculating gaze while looking at Chiyuki's group.

What she didn't tell Chiyuki's group is that while it's true that they won't lose their lives once their <Vital Essence/Origin> has been taken... They will become something extremely weak, on par with a newborn baby... Maybe a goblin? Mm, that sounds about right.

Knowing their situation after all this time, it is very unlikely for them to be able to accept that. When that time comes, Tamamo will 'offer' them a new deal...

'Tsk, you and your ploy... Well whatever, just switch with us tonight!'

'Cat agrees! Switch with us, woof!'

'Hmhm~' Tamamo Vitch hummed to herself.

'Don't feign ignorance! It's been 4 days and you failed to seduce hubby!'

'Tsk, don't put the blame on me... You all know better just how hubby is once he sets his mind on something. And with Setsu-chan here, the odds of him giving us his "favor" is almost zero.'

'Almost zero doesn't mean it's completely impossible, you're just making excuses. You truly bring shame to our name as the "best wife" for not being able to seduce our own husband!' The original Tamamo said with a snort: 'If it were me then hubby would've fallen for my charm already~'

'Why you little vixen...' Tamamo Vitch said through gritted teeth.

'''We all are vixen, you idiot!'''

'Not Cat, woof! Cat is Cat!'

'''You be quiet!'''

While Tamamo is having an internal struggle, quite literally... Setsuna's observation of the slaves is still ongoing.

The slaves that are gathered here are slaves that are assumed criminals without solid evidence.

Setsuna assessed the slaves closely and ruled out the slaves that are truly guilty. She only picks the innocent ones because, for her developing country, evildoers are the last thing that she needs.

Once she's done ruling out the innocents and the guilty ones, she waved her hand and the guilty ones are lifted into the air on their own before they disappeared into thin air. What's left are the remnants of her energy lingering briefly in the air before it disappeared as well...

The slave master becomes dumbfounded at this... Where did they go? But he knows better to keep his mouth shut so he doesn't say anything in return.

During her assessment, she notices some peculiarity among the slave.

"You two, step to the front." She pointed at the two particular ones who seem to be twins.

They appear to be from the demon tribe... an oni tribe to be specific.

The first one has blue-colored hair and the second one has pink-colored hair.

They nervously step forward while holding hands.

"...You two are not from this world, aren't you?" Setsuna said with narrowed eyes which made the two become shocked.

"Judging from your expression, it seems that I was right." Setsuna gives a faint nod.

Their aura is slightly different from this world inhabitants, just like Chiyuki and her friends. Well, not as different as Chiyuki and her friends but it's still quite different.

"Hmm... Summoned? No... Your soul energy wave indicates that you're not summoned here... Then... Reincarnated? How intriguing, a reincarnated individual who still retain their memories... I wonder if it has something to do with you being twins?" Setsuna took another guess with her eyes turning slightly golden.

They become even more shocked at her keen observation.

They looked at each other in disbelief...

"...How can you tell?" The pink-haired one asked cautiously.

"Hn? How can I tell what? That you both are reincarnated?" Setsuna asked back.

"...Yes."

"It's a little trick that I inherited from my royal father," Setsuna said with a slight chuckle while she shifted her gaze to her troubled father.

"Your father?" The two of them followed her gaze and blushed at his sight.

"Anyway, we're done here... We should get going, I don't want to keep royal father waiting for too long." Setsuna set her attention back to the twins.

"M-May we know what will happen to us?" The blue-haired one asked.

"You will be my citizens from now on."

"Citizens?"

"That's right, I'm building a country and I need citizens to rule over as my training. That will be all you need to know, any other questions? You have my permission to speak freely." Setsuna shouted at the other slaves.

"...Are you with them?" One of the Demon slaves pointed at Chiyuki's group which made the latter flinch once again.

"Them? Those brats? No, we're nowhere close to them." Setsuna said simply.

"If... If we were to follow you as our Master... Will you avenge our fallen brethren? We will do anything you want as long as you kill them for us!" They shouted with hatred.

Chiyuki and her friends shuddered at the intensity of their hatred.

"Because of them... Because of them, my whole village has been destroyed... My husband and my mother died because of them!" One of the female Demon said through gritted teeth.

"My mommy and daddy... They're gone..." One of the children cried profusely.

The more the slaves speak, the more ashamed Chiyuki and her friends felt... Being a teenager, they couldn't handle the burden of such a scale... Knowing that their hands are contaminated with the blood of the innocents...

Even if some of those who died are not directly killed by them, they are still guilty.

They can only look towards the ground feeling too ashamed and guilt-ridden to look at their 'victims' in the face.

While they're here feeling ashamed, their so-called "Hero" is currently "visiting" the kingdom's princess... Sharing some heated moments between themselves.

Of course, they didn't know that... If they do, they wouldn't know how to feel about it... Should they feel disappointed? Or perhaps sad? Or maybe started blaming him instead since they're in this whole mess all because of him...

If he didn't randomly accept a request from a random girl then they won't be in this whole mess, won't they?

A seed of blame started to sprout on some of the girls... They didn't realize or perhaps didn't want to blame themselves since not all of them are Reiji's fault.

They're not together all the time after all and sometimes Shirone and some others spread out and did their own thing.

Tamamo who has been observing them from the side looked at them with disdain...

This is true human nature... They will start blaming others at a moment's notice. Love? Don't joke around. What do these brats know about them? When they never go through hardship together?

Her husband would give away his life without hesitation if it meant saving his loved ones... This has been proven to them all during his fight against Nyarlathotep. All of the heroic spirits who were present back then witnessed his figure with happiness and also sadness.

They're happy because the Master they choose to serve is willing to give his life away for them but saddened at the fact that he holds so little care about his own life and also because they couldn't help him when he truly needs them...

But that doesn't matter, they will do everything they can to repay his kindness.

"Avenge you? Why should I avenge you? I have no obligation to do any of that." Setsuna's cold voice resounded: "All of you belong to me whether you like it or not. And all of you only have yourself to blame for losing your loved ones!"

"Wh-What? But!"

"If you weren't so weak then you wouldn't lose your loved ones! If you weren't so weak then you won't lose your home!" Setsuna said with indifference: "If you want revenge then do it by yourself. Don't think that you can keep depending on others!"

"I-It's easy for you to say... Their strength is on par with the Gods! We won't be able to defeat them no matter how hard we try!" One of the male demons shouted.

"That's right!" The other slaves also followed along.

"And who decides that? Who decides that you won't be able to defeat them just because their strength is on par with the Gods? It's none other than your weak self!" Setsuna said coldly: "But fine... thinking that your starting point is not the same as them, I will give you a chance later. At that time, I will give each and every one of you to grasp what you want with your own two hands... If you still fail then... You better give up on having your revenge. Now enter this portal."

Setsuna created a portal for the slaves to go through and they followed her order. They couldn't disobey her command since she's their new Master. Their slave collar didn't allow them to...

"Oh, dear... This changes everything..." Tamamo muttered.

Chiyuki's group looks at her in bafflement.

"If Setsu-chan has given her promise then our little deal is off... Sorry~" She said 'apologetically'.

They felt their whole bodies went cold hearing this... Can they even survive if one of them who aiming at them? Right now they won't pose too much trouble but what after they're given that so-called "chance"?

"Oh, no need to be so shocked, dear~. It would be weird if a mother were to go against their daughter's wish, don't you think?" Tamamo said with narrowed eyes.

The foxy grin she has made them shiver... It's like they're being watched by a predator toying with their prey...

The slave master also felt his body went cold thinking that he mistreated some of the slaves beforehand... And the news of a rising army in the near future needs to be reported to the King!

Once all the slaves have entered the portal, Setsuna looks towards Issei and the grinning Tamamo.

She walks to their front and said softly: "It is done, royal father, Tamamo kaa-chan."

"Un. Good work, Setsu-chan!" Tamamo said with a smile: "That little speech about giving them a chance is quite splendid. With a little reward dangling in front of them, they will work harder just to achieve what they desire! Don't you think so too, hubby?"

"...I'll contact you guys later."

"Ah! Wait, Your Majesty!"

Issei didn't wait and immediately closed the connection... He heaved a tired sigh before he gives a smile towards Setsuna: "Um. Good work, princess." He praised.

"So, shall we go back?"

"En."

After a brief chat with each other, Setsuna called out to the waiting Glorious...

A few seconds later, Glorious arrived and the three of them left the kingdom.

They didn't use the portal since they wanted to sightsee.

Setsuna has already informed Regena and Mona back at <Shangri-la> of what to do with the newly arrived slaves.

After that, the slave master hurriedly went to the King's side to relay what just happened here...

"...Let's go," Chiyuki said while watching the departing back of Glorious.

"Where are we going?" Her friends asked.

"We should go meet the Holy Dragon King and ask it about their identity."

"...Right." They nodded unenthusiastically.

Does it really matter if they find out about their identity now? When they have a dead mark on top of their heads?

Despite their thoughts, they still followed Chiyuki and flew to the holy mountain where the Holy Dragon King resides...

...

They flew toward the entrance of the cave at the mountainside, the dwelling place of the holy dragon king.

The cave is very big and it could easily fit twenty or so people at once.

Darkness pervades inside the vast and deep cave.

They suddenly seem to have arrived at a vast space after walking for quite a while. This wide space is bright despite being located in a place without sunlight.

The source of that brightness is the countless light crystals that illuminate the interior of the cave.

And then, a dragon is present right in the center of that room. This dragon is definitely the holy dragon king, Chiyuki and her friends thought to themselves.

This dragon is far bigger than Glorious that Issei's group ride, and on top of that, an extremely beautiful one, too.

It appears that this dragon doesn't have scales like a normal dragon. It is instead covered with silver-colored hair, with each one of that silvery hair glimmering with light.

They are unintentionally fascinated by the scenery.

Noticing their arrival, the dragon looked in their direction. The blue pupils of the dragon are focused on them.

They couldn't feel any hostility from it. This might be a sign that they could safely ask for some information from it.

"Welcome, children of another world... I have been expecting your arrival..." Its voice is clear and transparent.

"You have been expecting us?" They said in surprise.

"Mm... The reason for your arrival must be related to my race King..." It said softly.

"Your race king? You mean..." Chiyuki said in shock.

"Yes... That personage you met and you wanted to know about is the Dragon's race king."

"You mean he's a Dragon King just like you?" They asked hopefully. If this Dragon in front of them is as powerful as Issei then... maybe they could ask for its help! But its next words poured a bucket of cold water on top of their heads.

"Sadly, you're sorely mistaken... My power is akin to an ant in front of him. He could end my life with just a simple flick of his finger. Even if all beings in this world joined their hands together, they won't even be able to put a scratch on his invincible body..." It said softly.

"I'm called the Holy Dragon King by many simply because they worship me as such, not because I'm a True King, unlike 'him'. I've never called myself a Dragon King because only one personage could carry that title... He who stands at the apex of all races. He who stands above all Gods in existence... True Dragon Godking..."

"..." They bit their lips at this revelation. They've expected this already but it still shook them...

"You must be thinking of asking for my help to return you to your world... Once again, you're mistaken if you think that I could help you with it." It continues speaking to them: "I might be able to use a clairvoyance magic but a spatial magic which traverses through another world is not within my capabilities..."

"Then is there really no way for us to back?" They asked despondently.

"...I wouldn't say that it's completely impossible..." It said after a brief silence.

"Can you tell us about the method? Maybe we could make it work!" Chiyuki asked.

"...The first method is a random summoning circle... but I wouldn't recommend it since just like its name implies, it will randomly send you to another world and the odds of it successfully sending you back home is almost zero."

"...The other method?"

"The second method would be asking for my King's help... alas... you and that boy called Reiji has offended him..." It said regretfully.

"Offended him? But... we never really offended him though..." Chiyuki said confusedly.

"Perhaps, you didn't but maybe you have, only my King knows... but that boy certainly has. He looked at my princess and my king's consort with a disrespectful gaze... All of my brethren have already been informed of his violation..."

"...Reiji..." Chiyuki sighed. Looks like his bad habit has finally put them in danger...

"A few days ago, my King has summoned all of the Dragon in this world and almost all of them responded to his call... The reason why I and a few others didn't go to his side is because we were bound by a promise/pact we made in the past... My king is benevolent enough to forgive our impertinence but you must know... If he truly ordered me to kill any of you then I wouldn't hesitate to do so. In fact, I would gladly do so just to earn his favor." Its eyes gained a bone-chilling ferocity which made Chiyuki and her friends froze on the spot.

"Make no mistake, children of another world... The reason why you're still alive along with that boy right now is because his consort ordered us to not make a move on him. If it wasn't for her command then ALL Dragon in this world will, without a doubt, went to his location and have a competition between ourselves just to see who can kill that foolish boy the fastest!" It said with a dense bloodthirsty aura.

"...I-Isn't he being too petty? A-All Reiji-kun did was look at them!" Sahoko struggled to get her words out under the pressure the Holy Dragon emits.

"So what if he's being petty? He has the strength and the right to do so! We Dragons are an inherently prideful race and we can do whatever we want!" The Dragon growled menacingly at her: "If you want to stop us then use your strength and stop us by force! If you can't then be quiet and just wait for your impending doom!"

They backed in fright at its booming voice.

"...Leave, we're done here. You better hope that my king changes his mind or death will be your only outcome. If you truly want to retain your lives then leave that foolish boy and let him be alone to face his fate..."

"We won't leave him!" Sahoko and the few others said adamantly.

"How courageous... Or should I say foolish instead? Here you are risking your lives just to find a way back home but the person you're trying to defend is taking his sweet time with this kingdom's princess... How laughable." The Dragon laughed mockingly.

The Dragon used its magic and showed them Reiji's current situation.

He's currently on top of the bed and the princess is on top of him... Looks like they have just finished their lovey-dovey moments together seeing how their naked body is full of sweat.

[Reiji-sama, is it really okay for you to be here? What about your companions?]

[It will be fine... Sahoko and the others can take care of themselves.]

[I see... But what about that 'person'? Isn't he the one who caused this scar of yours?] The princess touched the ugly scar running from his right shoulder to his left hip.

This scar is not really caused by Issei but rather it's caused by 'Kuroki'.

[Indeed, but you don't need to worry, Almina... I will surely surpass him in the future so you can be rest assured.] And then, he can take his time wooing his daughter and wife, he secretly added inside his mind.

[Um, Almina believes you, Reiji-sama]

[Yes, all you need to is believe in me... Now let's go for another round, Almina.]

[Ah, but should you keep your companions waiting, Reiji-sama?]

[It's fine it's fine... It's not like they're in any danger]

[If you say so, Reiji-sama... Ah, Reiji-sama...]

They then started another round of passion...

"..." Their words got stuck in their throat seeing the scene before them.

"Pfft... HAHAHAHA! Does this insect truly think that he can surpass my king? AHAHAHAHAHA! This is the best joke I have ever heard in my entire life! Truly laughable! Even if he's given millions of years, he won't be able to surpass him. Not in this life nor the next!" The Holy Dragon laughed boisterously: "He thinks that he can live for long? He won't even know why he dies when the time comes! And this insect is supposed to be humanity's next greatest 'Hero'? What a joke! A dead man walking is what he is!"

"All of you can leave... We're done here." The Holy Dragon stopped its laughter and waved its wing and pushed them outside of its cave.

With the last warning from the Holy Dragon King, Chiyuki's group dejectedly leave the mountain... Their entire atmosphere becomes more somber than before...

The one who feels regret the most is Shirone... To think that she would have a fallout with Kuroki in the past because of this kind of man...

She was blinded by a brief showcase of Reiji's so-called 'Heroism'... no, she was blinded because of her own illusion of being a hero...

She admires Reiji as a "hero" who keep saving others(damsels in distress) even back in their original world. For Shirone, Reiji is the ideal hero. She wanted to be like a "hero" just like Reiji, as she couldn't be a hero herself.

That hasn't changed when they are in another world. Shirone was proud to be his comrade and believes he is a hero who can defeat the Demon King and restore the golden age of humanity.

However, the appearance of his childhood frien- no, that man changes everything... They've been exposed to the harsh reality that not every "fairy tale" has a happy ending... And now, they're approaching that said ending...

If... If she didn't have that stupid fight with Kuroki in the past... Would she currently be standing by "his" side by now and instead on this sinking ship?

Each to their own thoughts...