Chapter 16: Not giving up.

“Nico, Niki, Harry! Get your asses to my room!”

All of them, upon hearing their Master’s bark, left whatever they were doing to run to him.

On their way out of the game-room they met with Sachiko, it was clear that she was angry and by their Master’s yelling it was certain that the confession didn’t go well at all.

No, even that would be an understatement. It would be more accurate to say that the shit hit the fan and that one way or the other, everyone involved would pay the price.

Making sure to give the priestess the stinky eye, they left without even casting a glance to their former play-mates.

Well, at least Nico and Niki didn’t. Harry on the other hand, casted once last glance to Moira, who ever since that kiss back in the grand hall seemed lost in her own thoughts, and also rushed to his Master.

Sachiko’s anger, briefly dissipated only to be replaced by complete surprise and then anger once again.

“What on Fraya’s name happened here?” she asked Moira, seeing as she was the only one in the room fully clothed, albeit a little lost.

“Why are all the men naked? Hey! Are you even listening to me?”

Moira coming out of her stupor by Sachiko’s yelling, after realizing what the question was, finally said:

“Eh…? That’s…. ah, I think, they were playing strip poker with that woman and that man from the general’s party.”

“What do you mean you think? Weren’t you here the whole time?”

“Eh… I was…I think…But never mind me. What did the Demon General want to talk to you about?”  Moira said, trying to turn the discussion away from her.

“He wanted to confess to me! Ha! Can you believe that Moira? A demon confessing to a human that he’s in love with her of all things!”

“Eh..no….I can’t believe it.” Moira mumbled,  trying to sound as convincing as she could.

“But what happened, how did you react, what did you tell him? Did you accept his confession?”

“I was surprised at first of course. I mean not only did he tell me that he loved me, but he also told me a crazy story about him being a human in a demon’s body, not being from this world, not knowing about how evil the Demon King is….Moira, I am telling you that guy must be insane! He even told me that just because they are demons that doesn’t mean they are evil and that just because we are humans doesn’t mean we are good. I mean can you believe the nerve of that guy? He even scolded me for calling his friends monsters, saying that the man and woman, who these morons men in our party, played strip- poker with and by the way, I don’t know if you noticed, are an incubus and succubus, were not sucking energy from humans but from each other. Oh, and don’t let me forget about the kid who’s a vampire, that crazy General said that he can eat anything and that he is on something like a no blood diet.”

“Is that so…” said Moira in deep thought.

“Seriously what’s wrong with you? Are you even listening to me? Eric, Helion, Marion put your clothes on already, for God’s sake!” yelling at every single one of them.

The men were currently in just their underwear and by the visible bulges it was obvious they were aroused. The rest of their clothes were off and on the poker table, which meant that if Sachiko was a minute late, they would be butt naked from losing to the incubus-succubus couple. Seriously, did those guys even think that they could win against such a couple?

“Ha? Oh, but yes of course I’m listening! Now tell me what was your answer.” Moira pressed on.

“What do you mean what was my answer? Do you even have to ask me about that? Of course I have stated the obvious right from the start! A demon and human relationship is not possible, because after all we are here to defeat the Demon King, not to chat with him! But did he listen to me? No!  He just went on and on and finally he called me arrogant, near sighted and prejudiced and he took back his confession. Hmph, just thinking about it makes me furious! And to think that after hearing that he was once a human, I even offered him and his subordinates to help us fight, promising that our King would reward them generously!”

“What did he say? Did he accept? I mean, it would be so much easier for us to win this way. Besides, if one of them were to die during the battle, it wouldn’t matter either way. Right? They are just expendables!” on that point, it was Eric who had just joined in on the conversation that made the question.

He and the rest had completely missed on the previous conversation about Hitoshi’s love confession to Sachiko. Maybe it was just fate, plain luck or just the men simply being dazed by Nico and Niki, but in the end, it seemed that the whole confession discussion was meant to be a girls’ talk.

Upon hearing his complete indifference towards the life of the demons who if deciding to join them would risk not just their lives, but also their future, as joining them would be considered an act of treason and they would be forever hunted down from their own kind, to suffer and be killed, both Moira and Sachiko thought :

“What an arrogant little prick” Moira meaning it literally, as she had the “honour” of experiencing it first hand, while Sachiko metaphorically.

But not just their thoughts were identical, their facial expressions were the same as well. They both had their masks on, not to show any disdain towards their leader’s words, they kept their mouths shut.

After all, none of them wanted to be known as someone showing compassionate feelings towards the demon race. That would raise a lot of questions!

“He said no, neither he nor his subordinates are going to fight for us. If we want to defeat the Demon King then we have to do it on our own, even if that kills us. He said that he is not going to stop us from going on ahead, though.”

“Tsk, I guess that is something. So what did you tell him?” asked Eric curious.

“I told him that we don’t need them demons and that we are fully capable of defeating the Demon King on our own!” said Sachiko.

“Ha,ha,ha ! That’s our Sachiko! Of course we don’t need that shitty general and his magic tricks to defeat the Demon King!  I can take him down, don’t worry. We will show those demons who’s boss. Ok, let’s go guys! I’m fired up!” Eric proudly declared and marched forward.

Helion and Marion both clothed, followed suit after their leader, while Sachiko and Moira followed on the back whispering among themselves.

“Do you really think we can win against the Demon King, when we didn’t even stand a chance against the General?” asked Moira nervous about the upcoming battle.

“I don’t know Hitoshi said…”

“Hitoshi?” asked Moira raising her eyebrows in surprise. Were Sachiko and him already on a first name basis? Didn’t she say that she flat out rejected him?

“I….I.. mean the General. Yes… I meant to say General Hitoshi…cause you know that’s his name….Anyway, I don’t know Moira, the General said that the King is very strong and we are walking to our funeral.”

“Is that so….” said Moira, suddenly uncertain about the whole situation, thinking that she would like to at least have the chance to say goodbye to her “little prince” before her possibly final battle.

MEANWHILE IN HITOSHI’S ROOM

The sight that greeted Nico, Niki and Harry, when they entered the room, was that of the once proud Demon General, sitting on his bed, his head staring the ground, his long silver hair flowing down, covering his face and his shoulders shaking. The rest of the room was in a chaos, the table was smashes in two, the chair was broken in pieces, the books were scattered all around some of them with their pages ripped off…

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Approaching a person in a state like this, especially after taking into account that  the said person is their Master, required a delicate hand, someone with sense and sensibility, and among them there was only one such person.

Nico, the male incubus, voluntarily took this role, and slowly approached Hitoshi, taking a sit next to him.

“Please don’t cry Master. Tell us what happened. It couldn’t be that bad right? To every problem there is a solution. Talk to us and we will figure it out.”

Upon hearing the comforting words of Nico, Hitoshi jolted up just like a spring, standing up. His face now completely visible, there was anger on it, his eyes were blazing red and on his cheek a deep red mark of an open palm.  He had been slapped!

Harry was scared shitless seeing the slap mark and his master’s angry face.

“Did the priestess rat on him for the red thong? Did she think that master was a pervert and slap him? Was the master angry on him and he told him to come so he could be punished?”  All of his assumptions though were proven wrong as soon he heard Hitoshi declare,

“Crying who’s crying? Like hell would I cry for someone like her. And problem? What problem? There is no problem! Harry was right!” he roared.

His fears long forgotten, Harry couldn’t help but state:

“Of course I was right! I’m always right! But…. what was I right in exactly?”

“You were right Harry, she’s….she’s A SHITTY PRIESTESS!!!!” said Hitoshi fuming with anger.

“….” Harry

“….” Niki

“Master calm down! Please! There’s no need calling her names Just tell us word for word what exactly went on in here.” Nico said.

Leaving out the part about him confessing to the priestess that he was not from this world and that in reality he was a human whose soul has taken over the General’s body, he began to explain in detail what has transpired between him and Sachiko and what has caused him to be so angry.

After hearing him, all stood silent for a second. It was the always ground headed Nico though who once again spoke.

“Master, are you an idiot?”

Hitoshi was surprised by Nico’s out of character outburst, but never the less after being called insane by Sachiko and being rejected, his temper fuse was short, he wouldn’t tolerate being called names by his subordinates on top of that!.

Glaring at him and ready to snap at Nico for calling him an idiot, still couldn’t stop Nico from scolding his pupil.

“No! Master now YOU are going to listen to me! You know that woman for like what? 30 mins? And you expect her to what, to actually say she loves you as well after hearing your confession? It does not work this way! Take it from someone who knows first hand how hard is convincing a woman to date you, let alone you make her fall in love with you!”

That last sentence was being said as Nico looked at Niki, who in turn blushed in embarrassment reminiscing all the pains that Nico had to go through in order to win her heart. After all Niki was a tough cookie to crack and a little wild during her younger days. It was not easy at all for poor Nico wooing her, let alone dating it and don’t get me started about being her husband.

Still, Nico pressed on, he was far from done.

“So what if she called us demons? In the end isn’t that what we are truly are? Thank you for defending us, but was there really any reason to get angry at her for stating the obvious? It’s true what she said, we did hurt humans in the past. All of us did and we would gladly do it again to defend those we hold dear and that includes you as well Master. I believe I speak on behalf of every one here when I say this. Isn’t this right guys?”

“Damn right it is!” Harry Porker said with a smile.

“Yes, it! Master is almost like a younger brother to me as well!” said Niki happily.

Hitoshi, tried and tried, but in the end he was still unable to hold back his tears. He was so moved by their words and it was not tears of sorrow, but of utter happiness to fall from his ruby eyes.

Never since his parents died, his only safe haven in his previous life on earth and Kyoto, had he been so fully accepted by someone else. To hear them declare that he was dear to them, filled his heart with warmth he never thought he could feel and he silently made a promise to himself to never let harm fall upon them.

He was somewhat ashamed crying in front of them like this, shattering his cool and fearsome image, that’s why he had lowered his face, his hair cascading and falling like a curtain to cover his face, but it was obvious from the teardrops falling slowly to the ground that he was crying.

Still none of his friends and that included even the usually sharp tongued Harry, cause in the end that’s what all of them were to him, his first true friends, made a fuss about seeing him like this.

Instead, they pretended as if they never saw him crying like a baby. Nico clearing his throat, spoke to him again. Yet, this time his tone was not the scolding one he used before. No, this time, his voice was gentle and caring like a parent trying to explain things to his ignorant child

“Master, I couldn’t help but notice from all the things you told us, that not even once Sachiko mentioned she found you scary. I mean, speaking to you like that, doesn’t it at least prove to you, that she doesn’t fear you at all? Think about it for a while, she rejected you not because of your looks but because of your race. That’s what she has been taught by the human society after all. All humans grow up thinking of the demon race as evil. She doesn’t know you, she didn’t have the chance to know you yet. So, how do you expect her to disregard in a moment all the things she had been taught since childhood? You are the one who has to show her that you are different. Now the real question remains: What are you going to do? Are you going to give up on her?”

“Give up on her? Like hell I am! No, I will make sure she regrets it! But for that to happen I need to make sure the foolish woman stays alive, even if that means that I have to fight the Demon King.”

“Okay then we are coming with you!”

“No! You guys all stay here. I will go alone. I don’t want you risking your lives for me. This is my fight!” said Hitoshi.

“What do you mean your fight?” said Harry angrily “Don’t you know that’s my girl Moira fighting over there? How do you expect me to sit down and let her risk her beautiful body facing the King? What sort of man do you take me for? So, don’t you even think about unsummoning me, grab your mana potions and let’s go kick ass!”

“I am coming as well, Moira’s my family after all. I can let the one that could be the last live descendant of the Scarlet family perish in the hands of the Demon King!” declared Niki.

“Niki’s family, is my family. I will also fight!” said Nico

“What the hell has happened while I was away with Sachiko? Moira is Harry’s girl and Niki’s relative?” Hitoshi asked surprised after hearing this.

“Now, is not the time to explain Master, We have to hurry and go fight FOR LOVE!” shouted Harry, starting to run.

Hitoshi started to run after him, being inspired by little Harry’s declaration he also shouted “FOR LOVE!”.

Niki followed suit shouting “FOR FAMILY!”

While Nico who was just a bit back from all of them shouted “FOR SPARTA!”

Getting all of his friends glares, he just laughed and said “What, I am not allowed to joke for once?”

“What the hell is SPARTA?” everyone asked.

“ I don’t know but I thought it would be cool if I said it.”

After that all of them were running to get to the Demon’s King throne room, where the heroes would be fighting, hoping that they wouldn’t be too late.

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