Chapter 47: An Offer to a Witch
Ragnarok.
A weapon of mass destruction with enough power to wipe entire cities off the map and force nations to redraw their borders.
It was defeated in under five minutes.
To be fair, I had expected it to be quick.
What I hadn't expected was for the girls to turn the poor thing into their personal stress ball.
Rather than finishing it immediately, they spent several minutes taking turns beating it senseless while forcing it to continuously regenerate.
Sword slashes.
Punches.
Kicks.
Energy attacks.
Claws.
Weapons made from blood.
Ragnarok was forced to endure all of it before the girls finally put it out of its misery.
Nothing was destroyed this time around aside from the surrounding terrain.
No cities were leveled.
No maps had to be redrawn.
Ragnarok's arrival came and went with little more than a whimper.
When it was all over, however, the dimensional breach used to summon it remained behind.
Curious, I inspected the tear in space myself and quickly discovered where it led.
Cid's Earth.
Not wanting to get involved in the mess currently unfolding there and waste unnecessary time, I turned toward the others and decided to explain what I was about to do before anyone panicked.
“Everyone, it appears a breach has opened to another world. I'm going to investigate it and will return shortly if I find anything of interest.”
Several curious and worried gazes immediately turned toward me.
“A-Are you sure we can't accompany you, Akari-sama?” Beta, Natsume, asked with visible concern.
Which was honestly a little funny considering that, in canon, she had been the only one to accompany Cid when something similar happened.
Several others looked equally concerned.
The most obvious among them were Alpha and Delta.
“It's fine,” I reassured them calmly. “Normally I would bring one of you with me, but I have no intention of remaining in that world for more than a few minutes. I don't want any additional distractions delaying our departure.”
My explanation immediately eased the worries of most of those present.
“I-I see,” Alpha said thoughtfully. “In that case, it makes sense for you to go alone. You're the fastest among us and can simply teleport back once you're done.”
“Exactly.”
“Aww...” Delta suddenly whined.
Turning toward her, I found Sara staring at me with the exact expression of a kicked puppy. Her ears drooped sadly while her tail hung motionless behind her.
“Delta wanted to hunt with Boss.”
I couldn't help but smile.
“There will be plenty of opportunities for us to hunt together once we reach the next world, Sara. And unlike this world, our prey will be much stronger. You might even find a challenge.”
“Oh!”
Delta immediately brightened.
Her ears perked up.
Her tail became a blur.
And a huge grin spread across her face.
“Then Delta will wait to hunt with Boss later!” she declared happily. “Boss promised, so he can't take it back!”
“Yes, yes,” I replied fondly.
Looking toward everyone else, I gave a final nod.
“Well then, if there's nothing else, begin preparations to return to base. I shouldn't be gone long.”
“Yes, Lord Akari!”
The response echoed across the area.
Smiling faintly, I turned toward the dimensional tear.
Then, without another word, I stepped through the rift and found myself on Cid's original Earth.
The first thing I did was bring up my HUD and search for Akane Nishino's location.
The second thing I did was immediately teleport there.
Not even bothering to pay attention to the dying world around me, I followed the marker until I arrived at my destination. Having already experienced similar apocalyptic scenery in worlds like Resident Evil, the destruction didn't really affect me.
The moment I arrived, I didn't even give Akane a chance to speak.
I simply kidnapped her.
Binding her before she could react, I tossed her over my shoulder, opened a portal, and immediately returned home while completely ignoring the people she had been standing with.
Stepping out of the portal, I was greeted by several surprised looks.
The girls clearly hadn't expected me to return so quickly.
Their attention quickly shifted toward the unconscious girl hanging over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“Lambda.”
At my call, the silver-haired woman immediately stepped forward.
“Yes, my Lord?”
Standing at attention with her hands folded behind her back, Lambda briefly glanced at Akane with curiosity before returning her attention to me.
“Got a new recruit for you. Make sure to train her well.”
Without ceremony, I handed Akane over.
Lambda accepted her effortlessly.
“Of course, my Lord. Leave it to me.”
“Good.”
Looking around at everyone gathered, I nodded.
“Is everyone ready to head back?”
Several nods answered my question.
“Then let's go. Once again, good work, everyone.”
Snapping my fingers, a massive magic circle expanded beneath our feet.
A moment later, we vanished.
The next instant, we reappeared within Alexandria.
Looking around our current headquarters, it was obvious just how much preparation had already taken place.
Members of the Numbers, the lowest rank within Haru, could be seen throughout the city working diligently.
Some were harvesting the remaining crops.
Others were organizing supplies into storage containers.
A few were making sure nothing of value would be left behind.
Everyone was doing their part.
At this rate, everything would likely be finished within another week.
A result that pleased me greatly.
“Everyone, return to your previous assignments,” Liriel, Alpha, immediately ordered. “We don't have much time before we leave this world permanently. Let's make sure everything is finished properly so we’re not rushing at the last minute.”
The girls quickly resumed their tasks.
Watching the scene unfold, I couldn't help but smile proudly.
‘Nice. At this rate I won't have to spend all my time managing Tempest and paperwork like the original Rimuru did.’
“At this rate, Akari-sama will simply become lazy,” Ciel remarked in her usual deadpan tone.
I waved the accusation away.
After everything I'd accomplished, I deserved a little relaxation.
Besides...
Delegating responsibility existed for a reason.
After saying goodbye to everyone, I made my way toward the highest point of Velzard's ice castle.
Eventually, I reached the throne overlooking Alexandria and sat down comfortably.
Velzard had returned to my personal world over a week ago after learning that our stay in this world was nearing its conclusion.
As a result, I now had the entire castle to myself.
It was wonderfully peaceful.
Though...
Knowing Velzard, I had a sinking suspicion that she had already begun bragging to Velgrynd about no longer being a virgin.
The two dragon sisters were far too competitive for their own good.
Which meant there was a very real possibility that Velgrynd would appear at any moment demanding equal treatment.
Personally...
I was hoping she would wait until we reached Tensura first.
Shaking those dangerous thoughts from my head, I snapped my fingers.
A holographic screen appeared before me, connected directly to my computer back in my Demiplane.
Leaning back in the icy throne, I stretched out comfortably and let out a satisfied sigh before starting a movie.
It was good being me.
‘...I just hope I didn't catch Velzard's hikikomori tendencies.’
“It is far too late for that.”
I chose to completely ignore Ciel's response.
Along with the adorable grumbling that followed.
=====
Weeks Later
The weeks that followed were spent doing very little.
And I enjoyed every second of it.
With nothing particularly important requiring my attention anymore, I spent most of my days relaxing and enjoying the peace while it lasted.
The rest of my time was devoted to spending time with the girls, making sure none of them felt neglected now that I finally had the freedom to do so. As I had expected, with my bold actions with Alpha, Gamma and Zeta, it didn’t take the rest of the girls long before they asked to become my women too and I had happily accepted.
Meanwhile, my clone continued attending the Academy and hanging out with Alexia and Rose in my place.
I eventually met Akane as well.
Contrary to what one might expect, she wasn't angry about being kidnapped from her dying world.
Instead, she thanked me.
According to her, life after the world's collapse had been anything but pleasant, and she was relieved to no longer have the weight of the world resting solely on her shoulders.
Akane and Millia also became fast friends.
Being among the most recent members personally recruited by me, the two bonded quickly over their similarly painful pasts.
The friendship ended up benefiting both of them.
Now, only a few days remained before the Bushin Festival and consequently our final day in this world.
Because of that, I had decided it was finally time to come clean with Alexia and Rose.
About Haru.
About the Cult of Diablos.
About the war that had been taking place behind the scenes for years.
Well...
Mostly fought by the girls.
I had contributed here and there, but compared to them, my role had largely been that of a trainer and occasional support.
To help prove everything I was about to tell them, I brought the two princesses to Alexandria.
Which was how we now found ourselves standing atop Velzard's ice castle overlooking the city below.
“Welcome, Alexia. Rose. To the ancient city of Alexandria.”
Stepping away from them, I gestured toward the sprawling city beneath us.
Members of Haru could be seen everywhere.
Some were training.
Others were carrying out duties.
And many were simply enjoying their day.
“…Amazing~”
Rose's voice carried a sense of pure wonder.
“To think we traveled such a distance in only a few moments.”
Her eyes sparkled as she looked around the castle.
“And is this really an ice castle? How did you even build something like this without it melting?”
She approached one of the nearby pillars and cautiously touched it, only to blink in surprise at how solid it felt.
While Rose busied herself admiring everything around us, my attention remained fixed on Alexia.
Unlike Rose, she had remained silent ever since our arrival.
Her expression appeared blank.
But it wasn't enough to completely hide the hurt lingering behind her eyes.
“…Had you already founded Haru when you trained Nee-sama and me?”
Alexia finally broke the silence.
Her voice was quiet, careful and almost hesitant.
Then she slowly shook her head.
“No, I already know the answer to that.” Alexia shook her head as a small frown pulled at her lips. “I specifically remember you warning Nee-sama and me about the Knight Order.”
She sighed before looking at me again.
“…Why didn’t you tell me before?” she asked quietly, her eyes fixed on mine. “Did you not trust us to keep a secret?”
Alexia’s question snapped Rose out of her awed state.
The blonde princess turned toward me as well, silently waiting for my answer.
Unlike Alexia, however, she didn't seem particularly upset about the revelation.
“Of course I trusted you,” I replied seriously while meeting her gaze. “Did you really think I would have trained you and Iris the way I did if I didn't?”
Alexia remained silent.
“The reason I kept it a secret until now is twofold.”
I held up two fingers.
“First, you three are princesses of your respective nations. You already had enough responsibilities and worries on your shoulders. I didn't want to burden you with even more.”
As I spoke, Alexia's expression gradually softened.
The hurt in her eyes faded.
Though in typical Alexia fashion, it was quickly replaced with a small pout.
“And the second reason?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
A smile slowly spread across my face.
“The Cult of Diablos is essentially extinct.”
Both princesses froze.
“You mean...” Alexia blinked.
“The organization Haru has been fighting for years is effectively finished,” I confirmed.
The two girls stared at me in shock.
“You mean to tell me that the secret organization you founded only a few years ago has managed to eradicate an organization that's existed since recorded history?” Alexia asked with a deadpan expression.
Meanwhile, Rose's eyes were practically sparkling.
“Yep.” I nodded proudly.
“That's exactly what I'm saying.”
“That’s wonderful, Akari-kun~!” Rose immediately exclaimed.
Without a moment of hesitation, she accepted my words completely and began clapping her hands excitedly while beaming at me.
Alexia simply stared for a few more seconds.
Then she sighed.
“Haah... forget it.” Despite her tone, a small smile had appeared on her lips.
“So, are you going to show us around?” she asked, deciding to move on as she raised an eyebrow.
“Of course~” I replied immediately. “Why do you think I brought you here?”
Extending both arms toward them, I grinned.
“Shall we?”
“Of course. Lead the way, good sir~” Rose replied happily as she immediately wrapped herself around one of my arms.
Not wanting to be outdone, Alexia quickly claimed the other.
Over the past few weeks, the two princesses had developed a subtle rivalry that neither seemed willing to acknowledge.
“Hmph.” Alexia huffed. “Consider yourself lucky to have two beautiful girls hanging off your arms.”
There was the tsundere I knew.
Looks like her worries had finally been put to rest.
With one princess on each arm, I led them through Alexandria while explaining everything Haru had accomplished over the years.
The deeper we went into the city, the more shocked they became.
Mitsugoshi.
The rescue of the Possessed.
The war against the Cult.
The sheer size of the organization.
By the end of the tour, both girls looked thoroughly overwhelmed.
Which made their reactions to my next question even better.
“So...” I began casually.
“Do either of you want to join?”
The silence that followed was glorious.
I had to fight not to laugh at the stunned expressions they gave me.
In the end, they agreed.
Though not before both of them threw themselves at me in excitement once the shock finally wore off.
Honestly?
It was a pretty good day.
=====
Days Later — Bushin Festival
“Winner! Akari Tempest!”
“Give it up for our newest Bushin Festival champion!”
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the arena as I waved to the crowd with a smile before making my way toward the waiting rooms.
The moment I was out of sight, I smirked.
Then, in a small puff of smoke, my body disappeared.
The Akari that had just won the Bushin Festival was nothing more than a Shadow Clone.
As the clone dispersed, its memories flowed back to the original. I barely spared them a second glance before pushing them to the back of my mind.
Winning the tournament had been little more than a formality at this point.
Blinking as the memories settled, I turned my attention back to the beautiful purple-haired woman standing before me, restrained within a straitjacket.
“Thanks for the invitation, Aurora,” I said with a smile.
With a casual wave of my hand, the restraints binding the Witch of Calamity vanished.
Freed at last, Aurora landed gracefully before me.
For a brief moment, she stood there completely naked, seemingly unconcerned in the slightest. Then a beautiful green dress materialized around her body, covering her form.
“It has been a very long time since I fought someone so strong,” Aurora said with a serene smile before letting out a satisfied sigh and stretching her limbs.
“Thanks.”
I smiled back before getting straight to the point.
“So, what would you say to me freeing you from this place, creating a new body for you, and inviting you along on an adventure to another world?”
Aurora froze.
The Witch of Calamity stared at me for several long seconds.
Slowly, her arms lowered back to her sides.
Then she blinked.
Once.
Twice.
“Huh?”