It took a while for Vena and Hilde to pry both Dessa and Shino off of Kiryuu. Hilde pointed out that he wasn’t waking up from all that commotion. Dessa let slip something about ‘his soul being elsewhere at the moment’.

The other three froze and looked at each other. Eventually, they cooperated to pry her off of him and tossed her into the bathtub. That woke her up, even if just a little. It didn’t negate her exhaustion though.

After getting interrogated about her appearance, she transformed into her human form. She tried to talk about astral forms but it was difficult to put her thoughts together. She convinced the others to go for breakfast first. She believed that her master should be able to handle what those things were.

Hilde checked his body. She didn’t want Vena to use her eyes. She was already having some troubles as things are. True enough, he seemed like he was just sleeping. She found no reason for Dessa to do anything to him. She was bound to him and it would do her more harm than good.

They had a hearty breakfast. Dessa started talking about Kiryuu’s visit but her words were getting garbled. It devolved into a snore as she fell asleep. Her head smacked on the table and she jolted awake. She blinked a couple of times and yawned.

“No good. I’m still tired,” she groaned and wiped the food that got on her face. Everyone else already finished their breakfast. It was difficult to explain when she couldn’t get her thoughts in order.

“Master should be just fine,” she said and got up.

“Where are you going?” Shino asked.

“Back to sleep,” she replied and dragged herself back to the room. She wanted to cling onto him. She believed that her astral form was a hindrance. That’s why he sent her back. It was definitely not some form of sacrifice, right?

Hold up,” Vena stopped Dessa in her tracks. “I want first pick.”

“Hey now!” Hilde got up from her seat in protest. “I-in that case, I call second pick!”

The two already had their fill. Truth be told, they were both envious when they saw that.

“Tch,” Shino clicked her tongue. But She had her master all to herself last night. She couldn’t help but wish they did more than just cuddle. But she had to give in. There was a hierarchy, after all.

It wasn’t a complete waste though. She felt great the morning after. She felt free.

“Next time for sure,” she muttered to herself with determination.

----------------------------------------

“Hey.”

“What?” Kiryuu glared at the woman in front of him.

“Give me a name.”

“Library Bitch.” No hesitation.

His chair lurched forward and brought him closer. She forced his chin up with her foot. It had a sensual allure. Her feet were bare, save for the stockings she wore. His cheek twitched a bit. She smirked and started poking the edge of his lips with her toe. So he bit her.

She slammed her foot on his face because of it. The chair toppled back but shattered into oblivion. Kiryuu tried to get up but she straddled him and pinned his wrists above his head.

“How rude,” she pressed her chest against his and licked his cheek.

“What do you want?” He said with a sigh.

“You’re no fun,” she groaned. Their figures dissolved into smoke and reappeared as they were before. He was bound to the chair and she was sitting on the table.

“Get to the point.”

“Fine,” she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You messed up. Really badly.”

“I…” He tried to retort but she was right. Everything messed up. The more he tried to fix things, the worse things got.

“There is a reason why I never give you any heroic roles,” she went on to explain. “You’re not suited to being a hero.”

“How would you know? You never gave me that role.”

“Well, you’re not relatable at all,” she sighed and shook her head.

“Relatable?”

“You need to be someone that people can project themselves into.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s called wish fulfillment. Other than that, let’s see now,” she got off the table and approached him. She grabbed him by the chin and examined his face.

“Looks? Fine. As long as you don’t grin. You have a malicious grin. You know that, right?”

He huffed and tried to shake her off.

“Overpowered?” She traced her fingers on his chest teasingly. “You definitely fit that bill even before we met.”

“Attitude?” She traced his lips with her thumb. He snapped at her but she withdrew her hand. “It could use a bit more work. You need to be more docile. Every now and then, let people walk over you.”

“Not going to happen,” he struggled against the bindings on his feet to no avail. He made do with trying to push her back with his cuffed hands.

“Obtaining abilities?” She took hold of his wrists and pressed his hands against her bountiful chest and moaned. “I'm impressed at how you’ve set it up to unseal your original abilities. It worked well with the system.”

“So what’s your point?” Everything she said was positive so far. It annoyed him that he couldn’t pull back his hands so he groped her hard instead.

“Mmm~ Well, it’s about this thing right here,” she licked her lips and placed her foot on his crotch. “There’s a problem with you and your lovers.”

“Excuse me, what?” He jerked back but he couldn’t escape from the chair.

“Your heroines,” she repeated and applied a bit of pressure with her foot. “Your harem.”

“What about them?” He read that it was normal. Even in that world, he was informed on several occasions that polygamy was common.

“You’re not supposed to progress your relationship with them.”

“What?” He tried to pull his hands away to no avail. “Come again?”

“I said, you’re not supposed to progress your relationship with them,” she gently moved his hands down to her hips. The cuffs disappeared just so she could wrap his arms around her waist. They returned immediately after.

“You should keep it vague.” She teased and straddled him. “Be affectionate but not romantic. Show that you care for them equally. Be attracted to them but never see them in a sexual light.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Build up sexual tension—and then completely run away from them,” she disappeared into mist. She appeared on the table again. “Even after the end of your quest, you shouldn’t have sexual relations.”

“I stand fucking corrected,” he hung his head and groaned. “That’s not a hero. That’s a dense spineless idiot.”

“See? Aren’t the roles I prepare for you much better?” She smiled and tilted her head to the side cutely.

“Enemy of mankind?”

“Mhm.”

“Demon king of slaughter?”

“Yep.”

“The man who built up a saint…”

“Yes!”

“…and the man who burnt her down.”

“That was my favorite—!” She gasped and placed her hands on her stomach.

“I hated you for that,” he broke free of his restraints and drove a summoned blade through her stomach. His hands trembled in resurfaced anger.

“I know,” she wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed heavily. The blade shattered into pieces. She was unscathed. “You’re great when you’re angry. I’m the only one that can handle you at your worst, after all.”

“I give up. What do you want?” He sighed and let his hands fall to the side. No matter what he can come up with, it didn't matter. It won't affect her at all. In fact, she'll only enjoy his struggles.

“The same thing as you,” she giggled. “I want to negotiate. You have a problem with your roles and I want ‘that which you have taken’.”

“Fine,” he sighed in resignation. He took ‘that’ anyway as a trump card against her.

“Good,” she grabbed his face and tore it off. Or so it seems. She tore away a wispy apparition of him. It was battered and all roughed up. It dissolved into the air the moment she let go of it. “You don’t need to force yourself into the facade of a hero.”

“A square peg…”

“…in a round hole, yes.”

“Alright, you win. Let’s talk.” He’ll make sure to get the most out of this deal. Time was no issue. He can already guess that she took him to a place beyond time, space, and even reality.

“But first, a name.” She pulled him towards her and he fell on top of her. The table disappeared and they landed on a soft bed. “I want a name.”

“Libra.”

“Try again.”

“Hmm. How about Kara?”

“Hmmm, yeah. I like that. It’s like your name,” she smiled and played with his hair. By name, she meant his true name. It wasn’t the one he was given for that world.

“Are you fine with this? Won’t it make things more confusing?”

“What do you mean?” She pouted. They were already getting to the good part. She didn’t want any more delays.

“Your sudden appearance might be confusing for everyone.”

“It’s fine,” she pulled him close and aggressively savored his lips. She pulled away to catch her breath. Her cheeks were flushed and she couldn’t wait any longer. He still seemed a bit bothered so she simply offered some words of assurance. “You’ll reveal everything to your heroines, right?”

“Yeah. I have to,” he wiped his lips clean with the back of his hand. Her taste still lingered. His cheek twitched slightly. He was already prepared to tell everything, especially to Vena.

“That’s where the rest of the exposition comes in. Now stop teasing me so we can fade to black and skip to the next segment.”

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Kiryuu opened his eyes to the familiar ceiling of his room. Despite waking up, he felt exhausted still. Dealing with Kara takes a lot out of him.

He tried to get up but felt a soft weight all over him. He noticed that he was in the middle of a pile.

Vena was on top of him. Her head laid on his chest. He wanted to stroke her hair but he couldn’t.

Hilde was on his left, using one of his arms as a pillow. She was huddled close to him.

Shino held his other arm against her chest. His wrist was caught between her thigh. It didn’t seem to be accidental too.

Dessa was embracing his legs. Her tail wrapped around his feet. It was futile to even attempt moving his legs.

Well, he could just force his way out. But why would he even do that? He was already in a really good position.

His shuffling caused Vena to stir. She yawned and slowly opened her eyes.

“Good morning,” he greeted.

“Good morning—hm?” It took her a moment to realize that he was awake. When she did, she embraced and kissed him. “Welcome back.”

“Ah… hm? You knew?”

“Yes,” she turned towards Dessa, who was happily rubbing her cheek on his thigh while she slept.

“Ah. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I… I…”

Vena’s expression changed. Her lips quivered so she placed her hands over her mouth. Her eyes started to water and she averted her gaze. She grasped his shirt tightly.

“No… please don’t…” She cried as she turned towards Kiryuu. He could see glowing outlines forming in her irises. “I don’t want to… Stop!”

The commotion caused the others to wake up. With his arms free, he placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Vena, your eyes,” he pointed out.

“I know!” A hand pushed against his chest, another kept holding onto his shirt. “I don’t want to! I want it to stop!”

“Vena?” Hilde rubbed her eyes and saw Vena shut her eyes tightly. “Your eyes! Wait… no. It can’t be…”

She went and held Vena from behind. She can see how torn she was. She knew what it meant too and felt conflicted.

“Kiryuu, her eyes are forcibly activating.”

“I see. That means—”

“You’re a threat,” Hilde shook her head. Vena’s eyes never reacted this badly before. She wanted to say he seemed more like a calamity but decided against it. She bit her lip. “I don’t want to believe it. I want to trust you. Kiryuu, please. This isn’t true, is it?”

The other two kept silent. Dessa knew more about Kiryuu than the others. Shino was not bothered given her previous master. It didn’t matter to her what he was.

“Vena,” he held her hands tightly.

“No! I don’t want to!”

“Please. I need you to see.”

“But I…”

“It’s about time you find out who I am and what I do.” He turned to Hilde and smiled. “Please support her. It might be too much for her.”

Hilde nodded. She didn’t want to run from this. But she already had a feeling that he was something else. That time when she attacked him. When she heard he survived, she couldn’t believe it. Because she was certain that, at that time, he died. He stopped moving. His heart stopped beating. Or what was left of it given how many times she stabbed him.

“Vena. Let go,” she tried to pry her away.

“No! Stop! Kiryuu, please! I love you—”

He tilted her head up to face him. She opened her eyes inadvertently. He smiled and said, “I love you too.”

She froze. His appearance, in her eyes, started to transform and warp. She pulled away from him. She would have fallen off the bed if not for Hilde.

To the others, Vena appeared to be frantically looking around. This was something only she could see

This was the first time she saw something this distinct and detailed. It had always been a vague aura. Even compared to when he descended, this was on a different level. It was disturbing.

There were several bookshelves surrounding him from the side and from behind. They were filled with books. Each of them glowed differently. But they were all repulsive. Each book had a fleshy limb or appendage that latched onto Kiryuu.

Their nails tore deep into his flesh. She could see trails of muscle and sinew from his back connecting to the shelves.

Finally she turned to face him. His cheeks were sunken. His eyes were bloodshot. His lips cut, but he continued to smile at her weakly. He knew she was seeing something horrible. Kara definitely had a hand in that.

Vena’s hands trembled as she tried to reach out to him. The other limbs and appendages suddenly squirmed and flailed violently. She backed away immediately and took her distance.

She realized how far she retreated and broke into tears. She hugged herself as she broke down. She hated how her body was reacting.

Hilde embraced her from behind to comfort her. She turned to Kiryuu and tried to speak but no words came out. She trusted Vena with her life. If she would be forced to choose, she would abandon Kiryuu.

She didn’t know what to do. Living beings tend to fear the unknown, she thought. Maybe that’s why Vena’s eyes were reacting so much. Kiryuu was too big of an anomaly to comprehend.

Yet, just thinking about that possibility made her heart ache. She knew, deep inside, that she felt more guilt than anything. She was still trying to atone for what she did back then.

She was certain that he died. No one could have survived that. She went at him with the intent to kill. When she stabbed him, she used a certain kill technique.

[Quiver Edge]

A skill that coats the blade in a fine magic edge with unparalleled sharpness. Upon impact, the magic edge would rapidly vibrate. It takes a lot of mana to use and takes a long time to master. It requires precise control. Because of how fatal this skill was, she was certain that his heart should have been torn to shreds. She didn’t just stab through his chest, she obliterated his rib cage.

When she found out what really happened, she spiraled into guilt. As a guildmaster, she should have kept her cool. She was really glad he survived. She could atone. She would support him with everything she had.

He was affectionate with her but he didn’t push things further. Was he being considerate of her circumstances? He embraced Vena already. She figured the other two as well. Whenever she thought of it, her body shivered. She still wasn’t ready. He knew that and he was giving her time. She didn’t deserve this. He was treating her so well. She thought that maybe he would be the one. The one she needed to get better.

And now… she was torn. She even told Vena that he has his circumstances. And yet here she was. A hypocrite unable to follow up her words. She still held more trust in Vena’s eyes than in him. She hated herself.

“I should go,” Kiryuu said and tried to get off the bed.

“Master…” Shino tried to approach but Dessa stopped her. She glared at Dessa but she gestured to let them be.

“No!” Hilde yelled. Her voice caused Vena to tremble a bit. She locked eyes with Kiryuu and started to tear up. “Stay. Please. I need you. We… I don’t want you to go.”

Vena looked up at Hilde. She knew how much her eyes have helped them all these years. She knew how much trust Hilde had in her eyes. She, too, trusted her eyes with her life, It saved her a lot of times in the past.

Vena didn’t hate Hilde for picking Kiryuu over her eyes. She hated herself. She wanted to be by his side.

She bit her lip and steeled herself. She slowly reached out to him. The arms clutching his body started to twitch and flail. She withdrew slightly and tried to back away but she couldn’t. Hilde was giving her a push from behind.

She ignored those arms even when they lashed out at her. They just phased through her. Slowly, but surely, she was able to take hold of Kiryuu’s cheeks.

“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?” Tears won’t stop flowing from her eyes.

The shelves and the limbs started to crumble into dust and Kiryuu’s appearance started to revert. His grotesque appearance returned to the vibrant dynamic aura around him. She embraced his head tightly against her chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

Hilde sighed with relief as strength left her body. She had been too tense.

“I’m glad,” she dragged herself toward Kiryuu and embraced him from the side.

He adjusted to embrace them both and sighed as they fell back on the bed.

“I’m jealous,” Shino pouted. She wished she could have seen what Vena saw. She held an absurd curiosity towards her master.

“Don’t be,” spoke the demon lord who was even more curious about their master.

Shino raised an eyebrow at Dessa but she only chuckled. “You’ll see.”

Dessa claimed his legs once more.

Shino’s lips curved into a smile as joined in and she gave her master a lap pillow. It might not be one for self indulgence but it was a powerful move.

It was after everyone had their fill that Kiryuu revealed who he was. They deserved this much.

----------------------------------------

“Excuse me, Ms. Saki,” a maid entered the room after knocking on the door. She pushed a food tray into the room and stopped by the bed.

A young girl sat up on the bed, gazing outside the window. She turned towards the voice and smiled.

“Thank you, Marianne,” she placed a hand on her stomach as the appetizing smell wafted towards her. “I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“Please think nothing of it. I am sure you have your circumstances,” the maid bowed courteously before she set up the food. “How are you feeling?”

“I am better. Thank you,” she said and rubbed her eyes a little. She was summoned into this world. She was going out of room when a bright light engulfed her. Next thing she knew, she was surrounded by people she did not know. It took her a while to register that she had been summoned into another world.

She broke down, crying. It was both from anguish and from joy. A few years back she saw her sister disappear after being swallowed by a bright light. No one believed her. A few years passed and certain kinds of novels became popular. It was about people being transported or reincarnating into another world. She thought that something similar might have happened to her sister.

“The queen requests for an audience tomorrow. A priestess of the Goddess Taygete will also be present.”

“A priestess?”

“Yes. She received an oracle from the Goddess Taygete. She wishes to impart upon you her blessing, and to proclaim you as her hero.”

Saki had a befuddled expression.

“My apologies,” Marianne bowed earnestly. “Please don’t mind it for now. We can explain everything tomorrow.”

She finished preparing Saki’s meal and bowed again before leaving. “Please call for me if you need anything.

Saki clutched her hands against her chest as the face of her sister came to mind. “Aya-nee…”

----------------------------------------

The blinding light started to fade. Two young men and a young girl can be seen on the floor. They were all on their behinds as if they slipped and fell.

“Greetings, heroes from another world!” A loud voice greeted them. They saw a kindly man dressed in regal attire. A golden crown adorned his head.

“Hey! Sato! Look!” One boy started slapping the other’s arm.

“What? What is it?” Sato adjusted his glasses and got up. He was surprised to find themselves in a strange place. They were surrounded by people in strange attires. “Hey, Take. Did we just—?”

“We just got transported to another world!” The girl piped up. Her eyes sparkled as she looked around excitedly.

“Megu! This is real, right? Right?!” Take was getting very excited too. “Does that mean I’m a hero?”

“Ahem,” the old man coughed and gathered their attention. He started to laugh out of amusement. “Ah. How great it is to be young! Welcome, heroes of another world, to the Midozan Empire.”

The emperor bowed his head slightly. The robed mages around the otherworlders knelt down and bowed their heads. There were three priestesses that didn’t kneel but they still bowed courteously.

A few moments passed and the Emperor raised his head and clapped his hands together. “Tonight, we feast!”

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A young elf woman stood in the middle of a platform made of dried wood. She was surrounded by her family, her peers, and the high ranking officials of their land. A robed woman approached and sprinkled glittering dust all over the platform. The young elf knelt down and placed her hands together.

“Oh, Goddess, we call upon thee,” the elf priestess sprinkled the rest over the young elf girl. “Impart your judgment upon this brave soul.”

The priestess stepped back and knelt in prayer. The dust ignited and the flames roared. They consumed the platform and the young elf before swirling into a vortex.

Those around kept on praying. Suddenly, the flames were snuffed out and the young elf stood upon the platform, unscathed. She gazed upon the skies. Her eyes were glowing. She smiled and turned to the priestess. Her eyes reverted to their normal color.

“Thank the goddesses,” the priestess looked up. Tears rolled down her cheek as she saw the smile of her daughter. She ran up to her and embraced her tightly. Her daughter, the new champion of the Goddess Celaeno hugged her in return. Cheers erupted from around them as the last remnants of the glittering dust faded.

----------------------------------------

A wagon stopped in the middle of the forest. It had a decent design on it and an emblem on the door. But it was badly beaten up. It showed signs of aging and use. It seemed as if it was going to be left here to be abandoned.

The two armored men that drove the carriage cut the horses loose and leashed them to the trees. On top of their heads were furry ears. Some of their teeth are longer than normal. One of the men had a striped tail and the other has two curved horns on their head.

“It is truly unfortunate,” the tiger-man sneered. “The queen’s carriage was ambushed by bandits.”

“Indeed. We must bring back evidence,” the goat-man responded while laughing. “Perhaps her dress stained with blood?”

“But what if someone happens upon this place?” Their voices were mocking and sarcastic. They were speaking loud on purpose so the occupant can hear their conversation.

“They would witness the unfortunate queen’s corpse, ravaged and defiled by a group of bandits. Hahaha!”

“Ah, but there are only two of us.”

“Then we better get to work.”

They looked at each other and grinned as they opened the carriage door. Inside was a stunning woman wearing an adoring dress. On her head was a small crown, and two fluffy ears. Her two fluffy tails wrapped around her body, as if trying to shield her.

“I see. So this is it,” she turned to the men with a deadpan expression. She was already expecting it but…

“Pathetic,” the queen sighed and closed her eyes. “You are all pathetic.”

‘Would you wish for me to save you?’

“Huh? Who’s there?” She looked around for the source of the voice. She turned to the men but they were frozen. Their malicious grins plastered on their unmoving faces.

‘You’ve suffered for so long. You poor thing.’

“Who are you? What do you want from me?!” The voice unnerved her. She had endured a lot but this voice… this voice sent chills down her spine.

‘I want you to kill them. Kill them all!’

“I… I can’t. I’m weak… and useless…”

‘I will bestow my power upon you... my hero.’

“H-hero?”

‘That’s right. I choose you as my champion.’

“But… Someone like me…”

‘Hush, my dear, everything will be alright.’

“Everything will be… alright…?”

‘Yes.’

“Yes…” She approached the guards who resumed moving.

“Huh? What are you—” The tiger-man’s vision started to spin before it stopped. He was looking up at his own body that crumpled onto the ground. Blood spurted from the stump that was his neck.

“Hyi—!” The goat-man’s scream as cut short as the left half of his body fell to the side. The remaining half fell backwards onto the ground.

The queen licked the blood off her fingers. She hummed a soft tune as she started to walk away. Her tails split and multiplied as her hips swayed.

Then she disappeared.