Sherry

At the other side of the Demon Continent, far away from where Hugo was, Sherry’s hellish training continued.

"Good. That's it. That's how you do it. To swing your sword with both swiftness and strength—that is how our race fights. Use your tendrils for defense, your sword for offense.

"However…"

The former Demon Lord ordered a strand of her hair to sneak behind her, grab her right foot, and slam her upside down to the ground.

"Gah!"

"Your feet are still wide open."

Sherry quickly stood back up, barely any scratch on her body. Her endurance had grown massively these past months, thanks to her growing mastery of her Izurd blood.

"That will be all for today." Quania declared. "The moon is already up. Fran is not going to like it if you miss your dinner."

Sherry stomped her foot to the ground. She was so close to closing the distance between them! Just a little more and she could finally land a blow! She just had to mess up at the last second!

"Don't worry. You're still really far from reaching my level. No need to get upset."

Naturally, this only made Sherry even more so.

-------

After taking her bath and having her dinner, she collapsed on her bed, losing her consciousness the moment her body touched the soft surface.

And then, she had a dream.

…

"Sherry…"

….

"Sherry… can you hear me? It's me, Hugo."

Her eyes jolted open. Her surroundings had changed completely. She was now inside a pure white abyss, floating without a single thing surrounding her.

Except for the boy in front of her.

T-that's… Hugo? He looks so… different…

Her heart skipped a beat. He looked even more handsome than she remembered him being.

"This is my message for you. I sent it using a Dream Orb, just like you did."

"H-Hugo?! You have one too?!" She replied. "But I thought it's a really rare item! Myrilla said she had to go through many hardships obtaining mine!"

"I have something really important to tell you." Hugo's image continued with a grim smile. It couldn't respond to her words after all. "Father and Mother… they're dead."

Sherry's blood froze.

"D-dead? But how?!"

"A terrible incident had befallen them, an incident caused by the Magocracy. I can’t explain the details here, but thanks to that, I am now on my way to your village."

"A-an incident? By the Magocracy? Y-you mean, they killed them?”

She remembered the place. Years ago, when she first started her journey, she made a visit to its capital.

And there, she met with the arrogant bubble mage—someone Myrilla warned not to go against. She tried attacking her only for her to laugh as she immobilized her somehow. And she wasn’t even the top dog of the place.

She didn’t know why the Magocracy would want her adoptive parents dead, but if they wanted to, they could very much do it, she imagined. Myrilla told her it was a nation ruled by extremely strong mages—mages far stronger than she was. And since Myrilla was an S-rank adventurer, just like her parents were...

“And you're coming here? With Marina and Erika too? That's impossible! You’ll need someone like Myrilla to fight off all the strong monsters on the way here!" She shouted again.

She too was right on this assessment. Multiple times they had encountered S-rank monsters on their way to the village. If not for Myrilla’s help, she would have no chance whatsoever against them. Even she still had to shy away from the stronger ones, like a dragon.

"I… have made a terrible mistake." The image continued, looking down. "I ran away. Marina and Erika—I left them both behind."

"What?! What do you mean you ran away? Why would you run away?!" Losing her patience, she dashed forward and tried to grab the image. Only for her hand to go straight through it.

"I failed to protect them. They died protecting me instead. That's why I ran away. I couldn't face Marina and Erika.

"But don't worry!” Hugo’s image looked back up with a forced smile, not answering her question yet again. “They're fine! They've contacted me as well using this method. As for me…"

The image began to flicker as the sound it emitted began to fade away.

"W-wait, what are you saying? I can't hear you!"

"... I hope, when we meet again, you can forgive me. I really am not this brave boy you thought I was. I am just a cowardly idiot. So… uh… if you decide to dump me and get another lover… I'm fine with it. I'll understand."

"Y-you idiot! You're the only one I liked! Y-you think I'll find another man just because of one mistake you made? You'll bounce back from it—I know you will! So I forbid you to be sad and mope around! A-and don't worry! I'll fight the Magocracy with you! I've been training with Grandmother and I'm getting  stronger every day!"

Again, the vision could not hear her. And yet, she was compelled to say it anyway.

She wanted to comfort him, just like he once did.

"You loved Father and Mother as much as I did." The image resumed its speech. "So I owe you an apology. For failing to keep them safe."

"T-that's not true! I'm sure you did your best!" Sherry replied.

"I am now in Fiania. After this, I might stay for a while in either Duncesbone or Arborea. As you might have known, they’re the closest cities to a World Dungeon. I’m thinking of exploring one and obtaining another Dream Orb. I want to send a message to Marina as well. She deserves that much, for bearing with my cowardice and selfishness.

“Oh, and since I don't know where your village is, it'd be nice if you can send Myrilla my way. I’ll try to make myself a famous adventurer so she can find me easier.”

"Goodbye for now. And try not to train too hard. You shouldn't work yourself to the bone for a failure like me."

With one last chuckle, the image disappeared.

When Sherry woke up that morning, she would find that her cheeks were wet by her tears.

----------

A year had passed since then.

While Hugo reached his thirteenth birthday, Sherry reached her fifteenth. She was now a fully grown Izurdian adult.

Her appearance had changed considerably. With puberty already taking roots in her body, she had gained a more womanly appearance.

Ha, if only that were true.

She had grown in height, but not that much. Her breasts had developed in size, but stopping on the unsatisfactory A-cup.

She was nothing like her young self wanted her to be.

Her aunt said that her charms lay on her firm behind but she disagreed. She knew Hugo was a breast lover through and through. He would stare at their mother's bouncing breasts whenever he could.

She quickly kicked these thoughts off her mind, however, thanks to her training. Even though Hugo said she shouldn't train so hard for his sake, what she learned only made her want to train even more. If the Magocracy really killed their parents then she would have to avenge them. Not just for their sake but also for Hugo's and Marina's sake.

And of course, for her own sake as well. They had done so much for her. If the Magocracy thought she would just let their murderers get away, think again!

--------

"Grrrhh… hrfff…."

"Here is your test. An Earth Dragon, freshly brought by the fairies from the outside. I want you to defeat it barehanded."

Sherry stared down the massive dragon without fear, even if she could feel its warm breath coming out from its large nostrils. The dragon was colored brown with a short neck and small wings. In exchange, its tail was enlarged on the tip by the spikes attached to it. Its claws were massive as well, perfect to dig through the ground, which was their specialty.

Sherry didn't waste any time. She bolted forward and landed a straight punch to the dragon's nose.

"Graahh!"

The blow was akin to an explosion—the force easily going through the insanely tough scales the dragon had. The dragon roared, countering by an acidic mud puke attack, which Sherry deftly dodged by somersaulting upwards. She followed by stabbing the dragon's eyes with her hair, earning another roar from the creature.

Deciding that it was in a disadvantageous state, the dragon dug into the ground beneath it before creating a powerful earthquake that could be felt from miles away. In Earth terms, it would be around a 6 Richter earthquake.

“Finish it off at once!” Quania yelled. “You don’t want the village to be a rubble when you’re back, do you?”

Sherry nodded while giving her an annoyed look. She hated running enemies like this. Why must she give her a bothersome test like this?

Without hesitation, she dived inside the massive hole the dragon had dug open. She left behind a strand of her hair so she could pull herself out once she finished her business.

And then…

"Graaahhh!"

The ground burst open, revealing Sherry lifting the dragon above her head.

"Damnnnn itttt! You're so… heavy!"

With her strength fading, she threw the dragon to the ground upside down, creating a massive crater at the impact site. Unfortunately for the dragon, it was too heavy on its topsize to be able to easily fix its position, allowing Sherry the perfect opportunity to strike.

The dragon roared once more, spewing more acid mud towards her in a desperate attempt to keep her away. Unfortunately for her, Sherry was simply too fast to be hit by such a sluggish attack.

"Take this, you overgrown lizard!"

Sherry's hair rapidly formed a giant drill, easily twice her size. She then attached it to her hand before diving down, aiming its tip right at the dragon's belly.

It never stood a chance.

"Graaaaahhhh!"

The dragon screamed as blood poured out from its stomach. The drill cleanly cut through its scales, having surpassed the sharpness of a mythril sword.

When it fell silent, Sherry was standing above its corpse, her body drenched in its warm blood, leaving no white spots in her previously white training garp.

"Well done!" Quania clapped. "Well done indeed." She jumped down and landed right in front of her. "Very impressive, lifting a dragon like that. And that drill attack—you have mastered it as well."

"...Is it enough?" Sherry turned to face her. "Is it enough to fight against the Magocracy?"

"...How should I know?" The grandmother sighed. "Vengeance for your beloved. I would do the same in your position… perhaps. I cannot remember."

"Your memories…" Sherry replied. "They were taken from you by that fairy, weren't they? I think… I think I wouldn't want that."

"Oh?" A hateful frown appeared on Quania's lips. "If your beloved human betrays you with another woman, you still want to bear that love? Naive. You have no idea how painful it is to be heartbroken."

"Hugo… he will never do that. I believe in him." Sherry smiled.

"...Foolish girl." Quania shook her head. "A weak boy like that isn't going to last in his faithfulness. He ran away from his remaining family to chase after you right after their parents were murdered. Instead of comforting them, he fled. What a pathetic excuse of a boy. I imagine he seeked you out so you could comfort him."

"S-shut up!" Sherry yelled. "You know nothing about him—what he's been through!"

"If he ever were to meet another girl that can comfort him, he'll fall for her for sure. He'll nuzzle in her bosom, crying his woes away. He will forget about you entirely."

With a sadistic smile on her face, the former demon lord let out a laugh.

"Shut up shut up SHUT UP!"

In her anger, Sherry rushed forward and punched her right on her face.

Or that's what she would do if her fist wasn't blocked by the woman's hair.

"How lackluster." Quania grabbed her wrist and twisted it around, earning a pained yelp from Sherry. "You want to destroy that Magocracy country? Then you need to be even stronger, strong enough to be called a Demon Lord. For a demon our strength is as powerful as hundreds of thousands of humans, if not more." She finished by throwing her to the nearby cliff, creating a giant crater on impact.

"Go clean yourself up. Our lesson is over for the day."

As Quania jumped out from the valley they were in, however, she had a half smile on her face.

She didn't say it to Sherry but she was proud of her progress.

To think that in just two years, she would grow so much…

Her love for that Hugo kid… it made her strong. She never complained during her training, no matter how harsh I made it be.

At this rate, in just a few years more, she will be just as strong as me.

...No. She still needs real combat experience. No amount of training will be able to replace that.

Sighing, the demoness landed perfectly on her two feet.

I suppose I can ask her. That kid has a fairy summon, according to her, so she might be able to track him down.

But what would I offer in exchange?

--------

Sherry made her way to the nearby river to clean up, as she always did after every lesson.

As usual, no one else was there. The river was actually the same one flowing beside the village and everyone else would take their baths and clean their utensils there. She was just a bit more upstream, about a fifteen minute walk from here to the village’s river.

The fairies were generous enough to give the Izurds a bit more space than just their village.

Taking off her clothes, panties, and bra (she might only have an A-cup chest, but she was not going to forgo wearing them like some pervert), she submerged her body inside the cold water. She didn’t even flinch, having been used to it a long time ago.

She then scrubbed herself clean with her hair, enjoying the warm sun radiating from the clear blue sky in the process.

Guess it's another "train by yourself" day.

I'll start by boulder-lifting a thousand times. That should be a good—

Hold on… Someone's watching!

Without hesitation, she hurled her hair to the nearby tree, cutting it in half in an instant.

Revealing a familiar young man standing behind it.

"Emel! How dare you peek at me?! You want to die or something?!"

"You're mistaken. I'm here to see you."

"See me?! You mean you want to see me while I'm taking a bath?! You—you really are a pervert! I shouldn't have spared you that day!"

A month ago, a similar incident happened. Sherry was changing into her nightgown when he just barged in without knocking first, giving him a nice view of her underwear-clad body. It took Fran to stop Sherry from punching him to the death.

Sherry jumped out of the river, landing right in front of him. Of course, she covered her body beforehand using her hair.

"Sherry of the Izurd. Will you please marry me?"

Hearing that, the fist she had prepared for his face disappeared.

"W-what? What did you—"

He knelt down and opened his palms, revealing a stem of flower underneath.

"A… a Marka flower?"

Sherry knew what that flower meant. It was the flower an Izurd would use to propose to their loved one. She had been learning her race's culture on the side after all.

Which meant, he was completely and utterly serious about this.

"You—I can't believe this!" She swiped the flower off his hands and threw it to the side. "You know I already have Hugo, right? Didn't Fran already tell you about him?"

"I know. But I still believe I'm a better match for you. We're both Izurds while he's a human. Humans don't live long. We do. I can take care of you for the rest of your life. He can't."

His response was firm and unflinching, looking at the blushing Sherry right on the eye.

"Do you think I want your companionship? You're nothing compared to him!"

"Then, let me prove my devotion to you." He stood up. "I challenge you to a fight. If I win, you will be my bride."

"You… you think you can win against me?!"

"I'll try. I've trained too, you know. Us male Izurds might not be as strong as you females but that doesn't mean we can't fight."

"Then try this!"

Without hesitation, Sherry punched him in the face, sending him flying a good distance away.

"Hmph! How dare he say that right after he peeped on me?!"

To her surprise, however, the man he just hit was already back on his feet, with only a nosebleed to show for his wounds.

Seriously? I didn't hit him with my full strength, sure, but that should be enough to knock him out.

"You're strong, I'll admit that. But I'm as stubborn as a mule. I'll challenge you to a fight over and over again until I win."

With those words, the young man bowed before walking away.

"H-hey, you can't just—Urgh, forget it! I'll just speak to your mother!"

If there's anyone that can keep him in line, it had to be her.

And besides, she couldn't beat him up too hard. He was her aunt's son. They were cousins. Like it or not, he was her family too.

What an idiot! Can't he go ogle some other girls instead? They're prettier than I am.

And by that, she meant they had larger chests than her. She'd seen them all. All the young girls in the village would bathe together and she'd be invited as well.

And she definitely had the smallest chest out of them all!

---------

Returning back home, she found that Emel was nowhere to be found. Fran, however, was in the kitchen, cooking up a storm for dinner.

"Well, well, you're early today." The demoness smiled, turning to face her the moment she entered the room. "Oh my, those clothes are dirty. Fought another big monster, didn't you? Don't worry. I already placed a set of clean clothes on your bed."

For an Izurd, blood was nothing more than water.

"Hmm, that's a frown you have in your pretty face. Is something the matter?"

Sherry didn't hesitate. She told her everything that had happened between her and Emel.

"Oh really? He did? Why, that's faster than I anticipated."

"Wait, you mean you knew he had a crush on me?!"

"Of course." She smirked. "I am his mother after all. I know he's head over heels for you."

"Then why didn't you tell me?! No, scratch that, you should've told him to stay away from me instead! I already have Hugo! I don't need any other man—"

"Like I said, I am her mother. And I won't deny him a chance at happiness." Her eyes narrowed as a frown formed on her face. "If he wants you as his bride, then I won't stop him."

This response took Sherry aback quite a bit. She thought she would be on her side!

"B-but, I don't want him bothering me!"

"As an Izurdian lady, you should learn to enjoy our courting process. You see, my darling husband did the same when he courted me. He would challenge me to a fight over and over again until eventually, I fell in love with his determination." She sighed, smiling.

"Hmph, that would never happen to me! I hate men like him!" She huffed, crossing her arms under her chest.

"Because he peeked at you taking a bath?" The demoness' smirk returned. "Oh dearie, you're 15 years old already. You should be more proud of your body."  To emphasize her statement, she gave a quick squeeze of her bountiful bosom, causing them to bounce in the most annoying manner (according to Sherry).

"W-what?! I'm not going to let some guy I hate look at my naked body!"

Fran giggled. "How about your dear Hugo then? Would you bare your all once you meet him again?"

"Hmph! If it's him, then I guess it's alright…"

"Then Emel would just have to steal your heart."

"That's never going to happen!"

Having enough of the conversation, she bolted out from the kitchen and made her way back to her room, slamming the door behind her.

"Oh my…" Fran smiled. "That girl… She really is loyal to this Hugo kid… Even after what he did… Well, she is an Izurd after all…

"You have a tough road ahead of you, Emel. And, as your mother, I shall root for you, of course."

---------

Meanwhile, Quania was making her way through the fairy forest. Using a secret passage only she was authorized to go through, she could "slip" away from the space the fairies had made for the Izurd, entering the world on the outside.

She didn't have any specific destination. No, she just had to wait until the minister was willing to speak to her.

"Ooo, it's the scary lady…"

"Shh, quiet! Do you want her to hear us? She's a former Demon Lord, you know!"

"A Demon Lord? What's that?"

"A really scary person! That's what she is!"

The whispers of the fairies didn't escape her notice. She could even point out their exact location through the thick fog surrounding her.

She chose to ignore them. Even if she were to kill them, it would only incur the anger of the minister.

Or not. She was a capricious sort. Even she couldn't figure out what she was thinking.

And then, all of a sudden, the environment shifted into a blur, transforming the foggy forest into an open flower field.

"To what do I owe this visit, my precious sapling?"

A giant dark-skinned fairy manifested from a storm of flowers. Dressed in radiant red, the woman was the so-called Minister of Summer, an archfey whose power was incomparable to any other fairies in the world.

"I have a request to make," Quania replied, still keeping her stoic, unflinching expression.

"A request?" The fairy laughed. "What, then, do you have to offer in exchange?"

"It's a request you should be interested in as well."

"Really?" The fairy laughed again, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "Speak then, my loveless pet."

"I wish for you to spy on a certain human. You should already know his name, knowing how you should be watching her."

"Aha!" The fairy raised her index finger and smiled. "Hugo Greenwood. The human love of the foreign Izurd. You want me to scry him? For what purpose if I might ask?"

"You already know the purpose," Quania replied.

"Oho! You think your dear granddaughter will suffer the same fate as you! Interesting! You're right! I do want to do this request of yours! In exchange, I will tell your granddaughter everything I see, whether she likes it or not."

"Do as you wish. I only ask for you to tell the truth. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Very well then!" The fairy clapped. "Anything else before I send you back?"

"No. That would be all."

"Are you sure? No more monsters I need to bring for your granddaughter?"

"..."

"Oh fine! Be on your way then, you sourpuss!"

With a snap of her fingers, Quania disappeared in a whirlwind of flowers, reappearing back at the secret passage she just used.

As for the archfey herself…

Now, to begin the search… Hmm, time to make some visitations...

---

A/N:

Oh look, it's a Sherry chapter.

Uh oh, is Hugo going to get busted? Find out next time on RoaWM! (what an acronym)

As for my Patreon chapter... uh, Marina fans, you probably wouldn't want to read it.