Poppy ran back into the room. “You can’t be serious! Those heroes and their essence belong to me! You can’t just go around destroying my property! What makes Racheal more important than them anyways?” she asked, glaring at Gloomy.

Gloomy puts his hands over his chest and squeezes them.

“Boobs are overrated!” yelled Poppy.

“I don’t think killing heroes is a good idea either,” I said.

Gloomy slumped. “Just a few?” he asked.

Poppy stomped her foot down. “No! Racheal is going to die and that’s that.”

Gloomy wrapped around Poppy. “But you can stop it. This village is under your control. You could start an uprising, if you wanted to.”

“Well I don’t want to.”

“Then your harem will shrink. One body a minute. Wonder how long you’ll last,” said Gloomy, moving his bladed tentacle like a clock hand.

“You do that and you’ll regret it!” yelled Poppy, her feathers flaring up.

While these two are bickering, Racheal is getting closer to execution!

I ran out of the training shack and saw a line of heroes, all dressed in black.

The air around them was heavy.

“Which way to the execution grounds?” I asked, tugging on one of the hero’s cloaks.

“This is the line. I’m going to spend my food coin to see it. Better be worth missing a meal,” he said, his shoulder’s slumped.

“Racheal is a member of your village! Don’t you care that she’s going to die?” I asked with a look of bewilderment.

“Well yeah. I don’t want to miss it. She’s like the top hero. If I didn’t care why would I pay.”

“Huh?”

“Racheal would want us to watch. It’s a sign of respect. This isn’t the first execution we’ve had here. Won’t be the last.” He sighed.

Even if I have to do it alone, I’m going to save her.

I ran to the front of the line.

A row of CatBoy soldiers blocked the path.

“Please, there’s been some sort of mistake. Racheal is a good girl. She wouldn’t do anything bad,” I said, bobbing around in a panic.

“If you want to know what she did, then keep your mouth shut and listen,” said a CatBoy.

Old Bat was on the stage and so was a naked person with a bag over their head.

Oh no! That must be Racheal! She must be so scared.

Old Bat amplified her voice out with the motion of her wrinkles. “This hero is responsible for stealing property from our great leader, Flam!”

Flam! He’s a bad guy. Is Old Bat the Wood Primordial traitor that Old Fool mentioned? If so, then Rachie is super in trouble.

Racheal stood up tall. “I did what all of us should have done a long time ago! Those animals were being bred for death! They didn’t have any hope and they didn’t do anything wrong. I won’t ask you to stop my execution, but what I ask from you, my fellow heroes, is to remember what I did! Remember that when we see someone in peril, it is our sworn duty to save them!”

“Racheal!” I cried out from the crowd.

She turned to face me, that dumb bag blocking her pretty face.

“Annie. It’s okay. I’m not going to pretend I’m not terrified of dying. Peed myself a couple times just walking up the stage. And it sucks I’m dying a virgin, but hey I’m dying a hero, right? You inspired me to be who I really am! Don’t let my death break you. Think of my bulged-out eyes, mouth with a bit of drool and oh geez! I’m getting excited now! Hey, when is the execution?”

This is how she deals with her fear. She’s more of an angel than I am.

“When you are ready. There are still some heroes getting tickets,” said Old Bat.

“Wow. So all the guys of the village are seeing me naked. This is crazy!” exclaimed Racheal.

“You’re supposed to be my big sister forever!” I yelled.

“I can be! What I was going to say is when you think of my lifeless face, remember why I died not how I died. Wait up.” Racheal turned her head. “How am I dying again?”

“Guillotine. Clean, quick, relatively painless. You served us for many years, it’s our way of thanking you.”

“I’ve been here for four years and yet that’s the best you could come up with. I don’t want some vanilla execution! I want to at least get crucified. Actually no. This is going to be my last death so it needs to be really flashy. Crucifixion, while hanging, while burned alive, and any chance I can get whipped while all that’s going on?”

Old Bat turned and wretched.

She’s trying to buy time, right? Right?

“I’m the top hero of the village. I won’t allow a simple guillotine. And actually, before I go, can I finally get laid? I’m already naked. Just remove the bag and I’ll pick my favorite guy. Consider it part of the event!” exclaimed Racheal, wobbling back and forth.

“The guillotine is already set. Now unless someone has an objection, then I suggest you lie down and die.”

“Can I at least take this stupid bag off!”

“No.”

“One of the heroes can shoot fire from his hands. Blaze, are you there?”

“Yeah. I’m here, Racheal,” said a hero in the crowd.

“Can you please just set me on fire? That would at least be something new. I mean a guillotine is like a major downgrade from being skinned alive,” said Racheal.

“No! Don’t!” I yelled.

“Annie. It’s going to be okay. I’ve lived a fun life. I’m not afraid to go,” said Racheal, her voice soothing and calm.

Something flew onto the stage, grabbed the CatBoy executioner and tossed him into the crowd.

“I object to this execution!” yelled Poppy.

“What, wanna kill me yourself, Trappy?” asked Racheal with a laugh.

Poppy flared up but exhaled the rage and put on a big smile. “Racheal is one of us. If you want her, then you’re going to have to take us all down!”

Vines crept up Poppy’s legs.

“Be wary, boy. Your next action determines your lifespan,” said Old Bat, her eyes vacant and merciless.

Poppy’s smile dropped. Her body froze up and terror took over her eyes.

“Put our Mistress down, Old Bat,” said a hero with a powerful dark aura around him.

Old Bat smiled. “No need to freak out, 5758762311. Poppy won’t dare say a word. Our beloved angel is unable to even muster a grunt.”

The hero masked the area in darkness.

This is my chance. Come on, Annie. You’ve got a great memory. You just gotta find her.

I used my sound powers to send Racheal a signal, a low tone Cuckatrice call.

She responded with her own call and, in this way, we came closer and closer, a few steps at a time.

“Poppy is more than just our Mistress,” said the hero, his voice getting closer to the stage. “She is our salvation. If not for her my wrists would be red with crimson agony. I would have died alone and hopeless. Poppy is our sunshine. My darkness can’t be contained when that sun is being threatened! Do it, Poppy! Burn away our doubts, burry our fears with your angelic hymns!”

“Well, I can’t ignore the pleas of my adoring fans. Haremization!” Poppy took a deep breath. “Save the lamb from slaughter. Save her life. Save her soul. Remember I brought you laughter. Follow my voice. Rejoice. And save the lamb. Your Mistresses commands it!”

Poppy’s voice echoed beyond the stage, enchanting the crowd.

The dark fog was pulled into a rift created by Old Bat. “You’ve spat on our kindness. We’ve fed you, clothed you, and kept you safe. Yet you dare to stand against us! Do not bite the hand that permits your lives.”

The heroes moved as a single entity, engaging in combat with the CatBoy soldiers.

Poppy licked her feathers and then sent them to her injured heroes after singing a short spell. The feathers healed the wounds of the injured heroes, giving them a second wind to stand against the CatBoy soldiers.

Racheal chirped one last time.

I grabbed her hand and tiny bells played in my head.

I’ve never been so happy.

I hugged her and sobbed.

Old Bat’s head spun around three-hundred and sixty degrees.

“Whoa, that was sick,” said Racheal, pulling the bag off her head.

“You’ve put everything I’ve suffered to protect at stake.” Old Bat sobbed and then turned to face the crowd. “ENOUGH!”

The CatBoy hero battle came to a sudden halt.

“Racheal will not be executed.”

Poppy raised her hands and the heroes cheered along with her.

“She is hereby exiled from Dark and Broody Village. Her achievements shall be torn down from the wall. Her possessions shall be burned and she will never be allowed in this village again.” Old Bat sliced the air, creating a vortex that blasted everyone off their feet. “Is that clear?”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

While she talked to the crowd Racheal and I ran off together.

“Thanks for not rescuing me,” she said with a genuine smile.

“I’m sorry,” I said in tears, getting choked up.

“I wanted to inspire my fellow heroes. Getting a bunch of guys to think of me every time they grip their steel. That’s worth dying for. Though not to say I wouldn’t have regrets. But it worked out great. Inspired a bunch of guys while being bare naked and got to live. I’m just going to get some clothes and then we’re out of here!”

Something suddenly sped by.

Racheal fell to ground, four holes in her shoulder.

I fired a soundwave at the enemy but it flew out of the way.

“Four,” said Poppy, with hollow eyes. “Four of my boys are dead. Your stupid heroism ended up getting them killed. It made me kill them! BatLover, DarkSunset, HollowMelody and Skullz,are all dead now! You’re not getting out of here alive!” She swooped down.

Gotta protect Racheal.

I sprouted wings and slammed into Poppy. “Hurting Racheal just makes their deaths pointless. There’s nothing you can do for them!”

“They didn’t die for Racheal! They died for me!” yelled Poppy, sliding behind me and slicing my back with her talons.

My aura wings dissipated and I fell to the ground.

Racheal caught me and took a step back. “Stop! Don’t hurt Annie! She brought someone back to life before. She can do it again! Go with Poppy. It was really great meeting you. I’ll be fine on my own. You gotta work hard as angel here and get that boat so you can find your sister,” she rubbed noses with me.

I grabbed onto her. “I have a big sister right here and I’m not letting her go.”

Poppy landed and clenched her teeth. “Just get out of here! I don’t need your help. This village was fine before you showed up.” She ran off in tears.

“You might be able to save them, Annie. Even just one. If you really want to come with me, I’ll wait at the clearing. The place where the Cuckatrices were.” Racheal smiled at me.

I nodded and ran after Poppy.

Several heroes were screaming in pain at the execution grounds. Four heroes had a black towel over their faces.

“They died doing the right thing,” I said to Poppy, spitting into my hands and healing the hero closest to me.

“They died because I told them to.”

“What do you mean?”

“Mortals can’t resist the power of angels. Surely you’ve realized that. It’s why Racheal loves you. We have a powerful aura of seduction,” said Poppy before turning to her patient and chanting a calming melody.

“Racheal and I get along for lots of reasons!” I exclaimed.

“Oh yeah, tell me what you two have in common,” said Poppy with a grin.

“Well, we both want a boyfriend really badly. And we…like cute things.”

“Is that all?” Poppy moves to the next patient.

I go to another hero but he’s already gone. “Racheal is my hero and we’re gonna be together foreva!” I yelled, tears coming up in my eyes.

“Heroes don’t last long without an angel at their side. There’s nothing else you can do here. Just go to your girlfriend.” Poppy gestured for me to move with her wings.

“But you’re supposed to teach me lots of things.”

“What good does it do? My haremization technique has led to my heroes to their deaths. Just go away! I don’t want to see you or Racheal ever again!” yelled Poppy, breaking out into tears.

I ran up and embraced her. “I’m super sowwy.” My eyes built up sadness and then it all came rushing out like a waterfall.

Poppy hugged me for a while and then suddenly shoved me off. “Get going. And be sure to satisfy her,” said the harpy angel with a lewd smirk, groping the air with her feathers. “Your teacher demands it.”

I nodded and then flew off.

I arrived at the forest clearing to see my Rachie. My wings came out on their own and I flew into a hug. “I’m so happy you’re okay!”

“Thanks, little sis. But we have to get moving or else we’ll get hunted down.”

“By who?”

“The time limit for an ex-hero is exactly one hour. We’ve got one hour before ISEKAI puts out a bounty on me.”

I started wiggling with worry.

No. No. No.

Racheal started laughing. “Relax. Sorry. I was just joking,” she said with an awkward smile.

I stared at her suspiciously.

“What?” she asked.

I summoned up her journal but she snatched it. “Come on. No need to check it. It was just a joke. I promise.”

I sighed. “Okay.”

“So, let’s go steal us a boat,” said Racheal, walking off.

“Huh? We can’t do that.”

“Your sisters are on a different island. It’s exactly what we need to do. Oooh. Imagine if we run into a ghost ship while we’re sailing! Wouldn’t that be crazy?”

“You’re so cute.” I poked her leg. “Okay, I’ll lead us to the shoreline so we can get a ship.”

I closed my eyes and focused on my sisters. A pink string appeared.

Racheal held her hand up and turned it. “Whoa, uh, what does this mean?” Her freckled cheeks became flustered.

Why is it attached to her?

I tried again. Another string appeared.

“Oooh, are you sapping away my lifeforce?” she asked with wide-eyes, looking at the new string on her other finger.

I lowered my head. “I wanna find my sisters.” I look up at her with a teary smile. “I guess you really are my sister.”

“Yeah. So what’s the plan?”

“Hate me.”

“Huh?”

“Hate me. Break my heart so it can guide me to my sister.”

Racheal crouched down. “Annie, I could never do that.”

The pile of leaves next to us rustled.

A cute Tanewki angel popped out from it. “Looks like your journey has come to a sudden stop!”

No way. An angel and a Tanewki!? That’s double rare!

“Whoa! Who are you and what do you want?” asked Racheal, stepping in front of me.

“I am Amorita!” she exclaimed, turning into a leaf, riding the wind, and then reforming behind us with a pop sound.

“And I’m super excited to meet a Tanewki!” I cheered, hugging the cuddly angel.

“And what do you want?” asked Racheal, crouching down to the extra short angel.

“Amorita appears only when needed. I haven’t a clue why I’m here. Only you do. What do you need?”

“A boat!” I cheered.

Amorita shook her head. “No. No. That isn’t it.”

“Wait, you’re telling us that we don’t know what we need? You had better be some terrifying monster in disguise because otherwise you’re kinda just a bother.”

Amorita taps the string. “Oh my. Well, we have our answer.” She claps her hands.

The leaves transform into a neon pink inn with a big heart on the door.

“Ummmm. What is that for?” asked Racheal with a raised eyebrow.

“Why it’s for the two of you, of course. My hero no longer needs me so I’ve decided to only manifest when someone else needs me. You two need the right environment to express yourselves,” said Amorita, putting my hands in Rachel’s gentle grip.

“Hold up. What do you want as payment? I only have a bit of Cat Coin on me and I don’t plan to waste it on whatever the hell that is,” said Racheal, gesturing to the massive building.

“It’s called Amorita’s Sanctuary! Once inside it turns totally invisible, sooooo you can’t be spotted by anyone! Total safe zone.” She exclaims, creating a red carpet with another leaf in her pocket.

“This sounds a little too good to be true,” said Racheal, scratching her head.

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” I said, puffing out my chest.

“No, you run if things get bad. I want all the terror and danger!” exclaimed Racheal, hugging herself as she rushed in. She pushed open the door.

A single small room was before us with one massive pink bed and scented candles.

“Yeah, I take it back. This is something I don’t really know how to handle,” said Racheal, picking up the pillow shaped like me.

I nuzzled up against the Racheal-shaped pillow. “Rachie.” I grabbed my chest. “Amorita made all this for us. And I think she’s right.”

“Awww. You wanna snuggle?” asked Racheal, pinching pillow me’s cheeks.

I have to do this. Otherwise I’ll never be able to find my family.

I set down the pillow and stood on the bed.

“You look too cute in your sheepy jammies,” said Racheal with a smile.

“Y-You’re super cute too,” I said with a mumble.

My heart is pounding. I gotta stop before it makes an earthquake in my chest.

“Rachie…” My tail came up in front of my hands. The heart-shaped arc of my hands framed the heart eye of my tail. I smiled through my embarrassment. “I wuv you!” I suddenly cried with relief.

Racheal’s eyes went wide and her cheeks flared up.

We stared at each other before I jumped into her. I tickled her sides. “Say you love me too. Please. I need you too.”

“Y-Ya know I love ya, Annie. But you’re like a little sister and sisters don’t…”

I made her moan by nibbling her neck. “Rawr. I’m a demon and you’re my contractor. That means you gotta do what I say.” I stuck out my tongue.

Rachie grabbed my tongue. “Nuh-uh. The demon has to do what the contractor says.” She snickered. My hero then poked my belly. “And I want you to just calm down and think about your true feelings.”

My tail wagged excitedly. It grabbed onto the Rachie pillow and gave it a super hug!

“I want you.” I poked her tummy repeatedly.

She bent down from my sneak attack so I hopped up and aimed for her lips.

My kiss missed its target and hit one of her cheeks.

“See. It’s totally platonic. We’re platonic,” said Rachie, patting my head.

“Then let’s get unplatonic!” I stripped out of my jammies, leaving me in my pink bloomers.

“You are just too cute,” said Racheal with stars in her eyes.

“Too cute to love unplatonically?” I asked with a frown.

“Nothing personal. I just like boys, that’s all.”

I grabbed her hand. “Me too! And I know it’s not personal.” I placed her hand on my bare chest so she could feel my heart beat. “But I really want it to be.”

Racheal stopped for a moment.

My tail slid up her robe and pressed against her chest.

I can feel Racheal’s thumps!

My eyes lit up. “You do love me!” My tail came out her collar and tickled her neck.

“Hey…uh no fair. That’s cheating. You can’t just target my weak point like that,” said Racheal, her head in a daze.

We fell onto the bed side by side.

The ceiling above us lit up, creating constellations of various types.

“Soooo pretty,” I said, looking up.

“Yeah, you’re really pretty,” said Racheal, fidgeting with her fingers.

I rolled on top of her and grinned. “I was talking about the stars.”

My tail tickled her chin.

Gotta be careful. No force. I don’t want to scare her like I did Yu-ki. I want her to relax.

I reached her shoulders with my arms and started rubbing them.

“Okay, so I gotta ask, why the lights on your nipples?” asked Racheal.

“It’s an angel thing,” I said with a shrug.

“Oh. Yeah…that makes sense,” said Racheal, nervously looking away.

“Touch me,” I said, grabbing her hand with my tail.

“Huh? Hold up there, Annie. Heroes and angels have a sacred bond that…okay, so every hero I know has sex with their angel but that’s not the point at all!” yelled Racheal before covering her face. “I need to really just stop talking.”

My tail pulled her hands away. “But you have such a pretty voice.”

“I…do?” asked Racheal, peeking up at me.

I kissed her hands and nodded. “Now get out of that stuffy robe. I wanna count all your freckles,” I said, poking each freckle on her chest.

“Okay. I guess we’re really doing this!” Racheal hopped up and clapped her hands. The sound of demons screaming to a jarring melody came out as she enticingly took off her clothes. “I always wanted to strip in front of someone I love with heavy metal music playing. Who knows if I’ll get another chance,” she said, revealing her white bra with red swirls and black straps. She struck a pose alongside the sound of church bells.

“Strawberries!” I jumped into Racheal’s thighs and nestled her crotch. “Do they smell like strawberries?”

“Oh, you mean my panties. Well, there’s a very good explanation for that. See, I used to wear them in Middle School and well, I uh. Nobody would ever see them so why change, right? Ugh, I’m so embarrassed,” she said, covering her face.

“They are super duper cute! Can I have them?” I asked pulling them down.

Racheal grabbed them but not before I saw some cute ginger hair.

My hero is extra fluffy!

“So, there’s something else I wanted to try with my uh partner.” Racheal pointed at my bloomers. “Wanna swap?” she asked, covering her face.

I grabbed my chest. “It’s gonna burst!” I exclaimed in terror.

Racheal poked my nose. “No it won’t. You’ll be fine. You uh, you don’t have to trade if you really want to. I mean don’t want to. Can we please trade?”

“I’d totally trade with my lover.” I wiggled my hips. “Are you my lover?” I asked, pursing my lips.

Racheal crouched down and pulled me into a quick but loving kiss. “You felt that too, right?” she asked, her finger tracing her bottom lip.

“Yeah. It was like zap but soft like a cloud. A zap cloud!” I exclaimed, popping up into another kiss.

My tail slid off my undies and handed them to Racheal.

She covered her eyes from the blinding light.

“Can you turn down the brights there, Annie?”

“You wanna see me naked?” I asked, jumping up and down.

“I just want to see something,” said Racheal, shielding her eyes.

My tail tripped her and took her strawberry undies.

“Sorry, Rachie. It has a mind of its own sometimes,” I said with a cooky laugh.

Racheal put on my underwear.

I sat down and held out my legs and she put her underwear on me.

“I’m a strawberry angel!” I cheered, jumping to my feet and doing a little twirl.

“Hey, Annie. The strings they vanished after your little confession.”

“It was a biiiiig confession. I’m just little,” I said, tapping my cheeks.

“Maybe now you can find your sisters. Try summoning them again.”

Good idea!

I nodded and focused my energy. Two strings appeared. They were wrapped around Racheal, coming together to make a bow.

“Wow, this is the cutest bondage ever!” exclaimed Racheal with a funny face.

“Why won’t it work?” I asked with a sad face. “Maybe you really do need to break my heart.”

“Nope. You still see me as your big sister. We just gotta change that. Okay, little angel, I’m gonna try to send you back to Heaven!” exclaimed Racheal, tickling me.

At first I giggled but then my breathing got heavy.

“You okay?” asked Racheal, slowly dragging her finger up my back.

My body wiggled in spastic ecstasy.

“Angels, when they’re aroused, they’re whole body feels good.”

“Well doesn’t everyone’s.”

“We become super sensitive everywhere,” I said, my breath coming out as pink puffs.

Racheal leaned in and sniffed the puffs. Her eyes got hazy. “Whoa. Those are some crazy demonic pheromones you got there, Annie.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to! Please don’t leave me!” I latched onto her leg.

“I’m not leaving you. I’m sending you to Heaven, remember?” Racheal pet my head. “That’s my job as your girlfriend!”

I wiggled and grinded until I chirped.

I’ve never had so much happy tingles before.

“Cutest sound I ever heard,” said Racheal with a smile.

“Oh, Tumble is way cuter than me,” I said, holding my cheeks.

“Well then, let’s go get her.” Racheal flicked my string, which was now leading outside the building.

I bowed. “I’m sorry about all this trouble. I didn’t do it just to find them. I really do love you.”

“Yeah.” Racheal’s eyes watered up.

A third pink string connected from my heart to hers.

We hugged each other tightly and lied side by side.

“Let’s get some rest. Tomorrow is a big adventure,” said Racheal with a gentle smile.

I snuggled up to her. “I don’t want to leave yet either.”

We fell asleep in each other’s warm embrace.

The next morning, we left the inn. We walked hand in hand, determined to find my sisters.