Hugo

"There it is! Arborea!"

That morning, we finally arrived at our destination.

The city looked exactly the same as when we left it, with its tall walls surrounding the numerous houses instead. The obelisks were also there in the middle of the farmlands, converting the ambient demonic mana of the continent into earth mana, making the land fertile.

And yet, the more I got close to it, the more I felt that something was… off.

"Hold on." I gestured to the others to stay. "Something's wrong."

I activated my Sight.

And immediately picked up on the massive, swirling mana surrounding the town.

Fey mana.

My heart sank. As fast as I could, I yelled, "Everyone, go ba—"

"Now where are you going? You can't just leave after you get here! Don't you have a dear friend you want to meet?"

I never got to finish my sentence.

Behind us, standing with his hands on his hips, and a grin decorating his boyish face, was a blue-haired kid with white bunny ears jutting out of his head. His hair reached down to his shoulders and he wore a blue short-sleeved shirt and black shorts under his white cape.

"Greetings." He bowed, still smiling. "My name is Shiba Tatsuki. Never bothered to get a new name when I came to this world."

"And I was chosen to be the new Demon God by Almighty Gaea herself."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hugo Greenwood."

ᅠ

I stood there, speechless, with my mouth wide open.

I mean, how are you supposed to react to a revelation like that?

The Demon God? Here of all places? And this little androgynous-looking kid is supposed to be him? I don't sense any terrifying presence from him either! He's nothing like the two Demon Lord's I've encountered!

However, Sherry had a different view of the situation.

In a split second after his introductory speech, the Izurd drew her blade and charged right at him, bringing the blade straight for his neck.

Only for him to block it with his bare right arm.

"You know, if I wanted to, you guys would be dead right now. I have been granted immeasurable strength by the True Goddess, only rivaled by the new Legendary Hero. So please, don't do this. I just wanted to talk with your beloved husband," the boy replied with a smile.

Sherry looked in horror. How? How could he have blocked her attack? She swung her blade with all her might and yet he didn't budge or flinch! Even the ground around them had turned into a crater from the strength of her sword!

I, too, shared her emotion. What he did—that was a masterful application of aura. He fortified his arm to absorb her attack completely. Since I couldn't see any barrier spells on him, that was the only plausible explanation.

The Goddess gave him this power? Like a cheat in those Isekai novels?

Sherry begrudgingly lowered her sword, wrapping it back in her hair-sheathe before securing it on her hip.

"Now, let's take a walk, shall we? Into Arborea. The new Arborea, that is." He winked.

I eyed Myrilla, wanting to know if he was telling the truth or not. She shook her head, her eyes filled with fear. "I couldn't read his mind." She spoke telepathically.

We shouldn't have come here in the first place. The Goddess… She had laid a trap for us here.

No. For me. She would sink me into despair once again.

A sinking feeling sat in my stomach, making me want to puke.

She'd kill them all.

Sherry, Felicia, Myrilla, Tira, Tama, Theo, Aria, Kiri—all of them would die.

That would be the most surefire way to destroy my heart.

ᅠ

We walked with the boy in silence, having no choice in the matter. If we were to run, he would no doubt kill us all in a flash.

I could cast an Accelerated Super Boom Cannon to try to kill him by surprise but it would be too risky of a move. That reaction speed of his—he was just as fast as Isolde. Maybe even faster. He would be able to react for sure.

"Sheesh, why the tense silence? Am I really that scary to you guys?" He giggled. "I know I'm the servant of the Goddess and you guys aren't in good terms with her but that doesn't mean I'm some awful person that would harm you people! After all, you and me—we're very much alike, Hugo Greenwood." He grinned at my direction.

Very much alike? In what way?! I wanted to yell that to him.

"Like I said, I'm Shiba Tatsuki. That's my old name back in Japan. But I never really bothered to get a new one when I was brought here a few years back." He giggled again.

He—he was reincarnated here too?!

No, he said a few years back. And since he looks like he's at least twelve, it doesn't match up. Maybe he got transported instead?

"I was brought here because of you actually. She wanted a champion from the other world of her own. And since you didn't want to be hers, she brought me instead. So thanks for that! You have no idea how happy I am ever since I live in this world!" He grinned.

She… brought him here?

So he really is just like your average isekai protagonist!

"Starting out, I was given the body of a tiny, cute Wabbit. But with the System she gave me, I've now evolved all the way to Demon God level. Look!"

With a poof, the boy disappeared, replaced by a cat-sized, spherical fluff monster with rabbit ears jutting out from its head.

In that form, he didn't have any arms or legs. He walked by bouncing around like a smile.

A Wabbit. An E-rank monster, one of the weakest monsters in the world. And he evolved out of it.

I must have read a handful of stories with the exact same premise.

He turned back to his human form with another puff. "And now, to repay Her kindness, I've decided to do as she asked."

A frown formed on my lips. "And that is?"

"Oh, look at that! We're in!"

He never answered my question.

For the moment we entered the city gate, our surroundings melted.

Merging back into a forest we were all too familiar with.

The Great Fairy Forest.

"Titania has exacted her vengeance on the humans that lived here for tormenting her daughter." He glanced towards Victoria. "And so, the city of Arborea is no more. It is now Arborea, one of the many domains she possessed as the queen of the feys. As for the people that used to live here, well, they still live their ordinary lives, ignorant for a fact that their entire city had fallen under the fey's control."

The surroundings changed once more, returning back to the bustling city we knew.

"From now on, Titania will be the ruler of the city. Ah, that isn't quite correct. Her daughter will be the ruler of the city. Yes, that's you, Miss Victoria! Your very own fey half!" He grinned towards the blonde girl.

Victoria reacted with surprise. But she stayed silent, grabbing Felicia's hand, glancing towards her for assurance.

Unfortunately for her, the redhead mage couldn't give that to her. She was visibly sweating, glancing at me, Sherry, and the Demon God at a rhythm.

As we traveled further into the city, we didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The city, and the people inside, looked just like the usual city and people you'd find anywhere else in the continent. Only, they all ignored us, and when one kid ran to where we walked, he simply phased through our bodies as if he were a spirit.

"Two intersecting planes…" Felicia mumbled to herself. "One is the Fairy Forest, the other is the town."

"Correct!" The Demon God clapped his hands. "With the utilization of fey magic that's capable of disturbing the logic of the world itself, it's an easy feat to do. And speaking of that, look! That's your mother, isn't it, Miss Victoria?"

Across the road, to the left of the main street we were in, sat a haggard-looking woman. Her dress had seen better days, with more holes than there were fabric. She looked like she hadn't bathed in days, with her long dirty blonde hair jutting out in all directions and her pale skin covered in grime and filth. And the smell—you can smell her from across the street.

"M-Mother!"

Victoria ran to her side, squatting down to grab her hands.

Only to find that she couldn't touch her in the slightest.

The woman laughed, raising her arms to the sky, clapping furiously as if she just watched the most entertaining theater of her life.

"Ha! Listen to me, everyone! This city—it has been taken over by the feys! You think that's your friend you're speaking with?! No Siree! He's a changeling! She's a changeling! You're all changelings!"

The people nearby gave her a pity look as they continued on their merry way, with some kind enough to throw a few coins in her direction.

"You fools! I am no beggar! I am an honorable lady of the Relfatia House! She — she took everything from me! That changeling! Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh!" She let out a wail as she grabbed the sides of her head before being reduced to a series of awful sobs.

Victoria turned to look at the Demon God with a horrified expression.

"Titania broke her mind." He spoke with a smile. "Well, her mind was already broken a little bit before we came. She simply gave it an extra push. Now, she's forever haunted by the sight of you being a fey."

Victoria opened her mouth, looking as if she wanted to beg him to spare her. But what came out was a different thing entirely.

"A-and Big Sister?"

"You'll see her. Don't worry!"

ᅠ

We resumed our walk, now reaching the middle part of the city. There, the obelisk that was supposed to protect the city still stood, to my surprise.

"They think they're clever with that obelisk." The Demon God spoke again, looking up at the tall, thin structure. "But it's nothing that a little runic modification by yours truly can solve."

"B-but, but that can't be!" Victoria chimed in, a look of disbelief on her face. "The runes in the obelisk—they're supposed to be immutable! And if anyone tries to change them, the automated defense system will activate and you'll be zapped on the spot!"

The Demon God chuckled. "How naive! You think I can't bypass such a simple protection? Just so you know, I am the pupil of the great Demon Lord of Dungeons!" He patted himself on the chest. "So bypassing runic traps like this is a cinch!" He rubbed his nose with pride.

The Demon Lord of Dungeons… I've heard that name before… Apparently they like to go around constructing dungeons using their magic.

"How many Demon Lords have you brought under your banner, if you don't mind me asking?" Felicia asked. She glanced towards me, sending a look that said, "Might as well get as much information as we can from him."

"Ah, for that, I think it'd be easier to explain if you just visit my place. Which you are welcome too, of course, but it's far to the southern end of this continent."

What is up with his easygoing attitude? Is he really that naive or is he looking down at us, thinking we're not a threat to him at all? Does he even know I can launch an instantaneous Super Boom if I want to right now?

And, for that matter, did the Goddess really just snatch some kid from Japan to be the new Demon God? Since when has she been planning this?

Clever kid though. He's not telling us that information. Maybe the Goddess is telling him what to do right now.

"And there's your sister!" He pointed towards a seedy alleyway to our right. "I'll have to warn you though that you might want to look away from this one since her punishment — ooh, it's not pretty at all!"

Victoria didn't listen. She already bolted out from the group, running towards the alleyway.

Naturally, we quickly chased after her.

"Y-you… you… get your hands off me!"

I froze.

The haughty woman — she was being cornered by five orcs. Her back was to a wall, with her only way of escape was the small road leading to where we were. And that road was blocked completely by the orcs.

"W-why? Why is my magic not working?! I-I'm a Grandmaster-level mage! W-what did you do, you filthy orcs?!"

She had her wand with her. But no matter how much she waved it around, not a single spell would come out.

"Help! Heeelp! Someone, please help!"

One of the orcs slammed her to the wall, lifting her up on her neck. Choking, she desperately tried to claw his hand off, only to find a fist landing on her stomach.

And then, as she barely kept her consciousness, the orcs tore apart her fancy dress, exposing her naked form to the world.

I didn't need to describe what happened next. Suffice to say, it was a sight so horrible Felicia quickly grabbed Victoria and drew her in for a hug, averting her gaze from the ghastly sight and covering her ears from the horrid noises that followed.

"This is her punishment." The Demon God spoke with a smile. "Being violated over and over and over again. Titania had manipulated her fate, making it her destiny to suffer this every day, no matter what she did."

Victoria was now crying into Felicia's bosom. Tira, Theo, and Tama stood frozen with a terrified expression on their faces, with Tira quickly dragging the other two away from the sight. Kiri and Aria looked at me with confusion, not understanding what they were seeing. Myrilla eyed the Demon God with a hostile glare. Sherry, on the other hand, had her hands folded on top of her chest, looking at the scene with a "she deserves it" look.

"Well, enough of that. Let's go. Your friend waits for you, Sir Hugo."

"S-Sir Demon God," Victoria spoke after Felicia released her from her grip. "Please don't do this to my sister. I know she's a bad person but she doesn't—"

"No, she completely deserves this." The boy's cheerful expression sharply transformed into a scowl. "Don't you remember all the terrible things she has done to you? From the day you were born? Your mother told me everything, you know. And this is the punishment she had chosen for her."

Whoa, where did that switch of personality come from? Is he some kind of a justice freak?

A kid sees the world as black and white, making him easy to manipulate. I can just imagine that b*tch goddess telling him that I'm the worst person ever.

Victoria didn't reply. She simply shrank down, hiding behind Felicia once again.

"I don't like it but I have to agree with the brat." Sherry chimed in. "You're too nice, Victoria. That's why people walk all over you throughout your entire life. As your teacher, I want you to learn how to be more assertive and recognize when scum like her deserves punishment."

For an Izurd, being violated like that was the worst fate imaginable, even more than a painful and torturous death. So for her to agree that she deserved it, she must hate her far more than Victoria did.

"Miss Sherry…" Victoria looked at her with a pained look.

It wasn't just Sherry who shared that sentiment. Judging by her expression, Tama too agreed that the b*tch deserved it. The others though—they were far more ambivalent to it. Tira covered Theo's eyes, telling him it's something he shouldn't see. The fairies asked me what the orcs were doing to her. I said I would explain it later to them.

"Let's move," Felicia spoke with a stern look towards the Demon God. "That's enough of that, don't you think?"

ᅠ

We continued our trip through the city, with Victoria falling silent completely. Though to be honest, most of us didn't speak much either. The Demon God did most of the talking, remaining as easygoing and cheerful as ever. I was scanning my surroundings, trying to see anyway we could escape. Failing that, at the very least, I could see if he was leading us to a trap.

I didn't find anything. There weren't any feys preparing to ambush us. The only magic around was the glamour cast over the forest to create the city, plus the ambient magic of the fairy forest itself.

That, and the strong fey presence at where we were going, where we might find Titania and Victoria's fey half.

"Father… How about Father?" Victoria quietly asked. "A-and the servants?"

Now that she knew about the fates of her mother and sister, she couldn't stop herself. She had to know about them as well. What terrible punishment her fairy mother had in mind for them?

"Hmm, about them…" The Demon God paused, touching his chin. "I don't think I know. Titania never said what she wanted to do with them."

"D-does that mean she spared them?"

"I have no idea." He shrugged with a smile. "You'll have to ask her yourself. Ah, but that won't work. You won't remember afterwards. I guess I can ask her for you."

"You can withstand her memory-wiping magic?" Myrilla asked.

"Of course!" He replied cheerfully. "I wouldn't be the Demon God if I couldn't! That's why she agreed to become my ally in the first place! She was impressed by my ability to resist her existence!"

Another cheat given to him by the Goddess, no doubt.

Eventually, we arrived at the mansion that used to be owned by Victoria's family. Before the scenery shifted, transforming our surroundings back to a bunch of weirdly shaped and colored trees. Now, a big tree stood where the mansion used to be.

And Xaela—she was inside the tree, hanging up high on the giant trunk, with her arms buried inside the tree itself.