The units led by Zetto's team and Yua's team took their positions along the slightly hilly meadow. For now, all the soldiers and heroes found was silence and emptiness. The wind whistled through the empty space as heavy, black clouds gathered above.
"What the hell?" Yua said, looking around. "Weren't we supposed to fight a demon army?"
"This isn't just normal rain," Tae said, looking up. "Zetto! Quick, throw up a wide-ranged protection spell."
"On it."
The Messenger stretched his hands forward, and glowing green, intricate magic circles appeared above and below the soldiers. From the dark sky, magical beasts came crashing down, dropped by flying creatures that looked like red pterodactyls with saddles and reins strapped on. Their riders looked like shadowy humanoids with glowing red eyes. The riders started throwing crimson lightning bolts at them.
Fortunately, no one got hurt, thanks to Tae and Zetto. Atoria's soldiers fired back with arrows and magic, while the knights charged in, crushing the beasts that had landed. Things were already going their way from the start.
"Long live the honorable hero Zetto!" someone shouted from the back. Everyone joined in, throwing themselves into the fight with even more energy. The army's morale shot up, the soldiers were acting like an unstoppable force.
Yua burned with jealousy. She shot Zetto a hateful glare.
"It's not over yet!" screamed one of the girls from Yua's team, her voice trembling with fear. She had straight, medium-length pink hair. She wore glasses, light brown leather armor and held a dagger in her shaky hand.
A huge shadow hung over the heroes. A wyvern was bringing in an enormous monster. Before it could drop on them, Zetto pushed Tae out of the way. The surprised Tigress stared at him with disbelief.
"Tae, get inside my spell's area, you'll be safe there," he said calmly but seriously.
Then the monster, bigger than anything else on the battlefield, came crashing down, smashing most of Yua's team into a bloody mess of guts, flesh, and dark-red blood. Only Yua and the pink-haired girl somehow managed to avoid the attack.
"Zetto, what the hell? What are you pla-" Tae stopped mid-sentence as she looked into his eyes. Zetto's gaze turned cold and hateful, with a hint of pride. Tae guessed what he was up to.
I don't even recognize him. When he looks like this, he scares even me…
"Zetto, why the fuck didn't you protect them?!" Yua shouted, her voice full of anger and blame.
"Y-yeah!" added her teammate.
Zetto calmly turned toward the monster that had killed three heroines just by showing up. The demon was about two meters tall, with an unnaturally skinny hyena-like body. Its limbs ended in four human hands instead of paws. It wore a white mask with a mocking smile. The demon had long, straight black hair and its head hung in a strange angle. No matter what position it took, its face was always upside down compared to the rest of its body.
This is my chance.
Zetto stretched out his hand and teleported himself, Yua, the pink-haired girl, and the beast as far away from Tae as possible, to an unknown location.
The four of them ended up on a narrow sandy road, with dense pine forest on both sides. The pink-haired girl started shaking in fear. She dropped her dagger and, panicking, fell onto the grass.
"W-w-w-what the h-hell is i-i-it? D-d-did you see what she d-d-did to t-t-t-them, Y-Yua?" she stammered through clenched teeth.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you," Yua said, drawing her katana, which instantly glowed pink.
"Yethath, second general of the demon army," the creature introduced herself, her voice coming out in short gasps, like she was struggling to breathe while speaking.
Zetto heard the crying voice of a young woman in his head:
Please, help me. I don't want to do this. It… it's controlling me, I…
The demon let out a terrifying howl and then charged. It opened its mouth, showing three rows of fangs, ready to snap at Yua's head, but she dodged back and slashed its cheek, taking out one of its eyes. The class president, proud of herself, went on the attack.
Yethath tried to swing one of her hands, but Yua blocked the general's strike again, grinning with satisfaction.
That one detail, a single smile with a hint of arrogance, was enough to trigger something in Zetto.
Memories flashed through his mind: how Yua defended his tormentors and got the whole class to testify against him when he tried to take official action, as if he were the guilty one instead of the victim and how she did everything she could to make his evidence seem useless. Once, Zetto asked Yua in private why she did it.
She answered with almost the same, slightly mocking smile, saying she didn't want to make the class conflicts worse. All of that crushed any faith Zetto had for making things better, and he nearly killed himself if his mom hadn't stopped him at the last moment.
I'll crush her spirit and hope, just like she destroyed mine.
Zetto slowly approached the pink-haired girl, who was still sitting on the grass, frozen with fear and unable to move. Yua didn't even notice what was happening, completely lost in her own admiration for fighting the demon.
"What's your name? Sorry, I don't remember," he said, leaning toward the girl with glasses. He placed his open hand behind her head.
"A-Asaki. W-what are you doing? Have you gone crazy?"
"Nice to meet you, Asaki," he said in a cold, seemingly calm tone. But his eyes were empty, filled only with anger. Zetto's hand at the back of her head glowed red. The spell made Asaki's head explode like a crushed watermelon, blood, brain, and other organs splattered everywhere. Some of it landed on Zetto's clothes.
The messenger felt someone's gaze on him. Meanwhile, Asaki's headless body hit the ground with a dull thud, convulsing.
Somehow, several meters away from their battle, a lone soldier had stopped his horse. He was probably traveling as some kind of official, holding an important paper, likely a royal decree or announcement. Zetto caught his eye for a moment and recognized him - it was Rai. The Messenger shot him a single glance, as if to say, "I told you."
He looked back at Yua, who had been staring at him ever since the slapping sound and sudden explosion, her eyes full of fury, disgust, and disdain. Strangely, the demon they had been fighting stood still and started trembling.
"What the fuck did you do?" she said, her voice trembling. Yua tried to stay tough, but the second she saw what Zetto did to Asaki, her legs started shaking. Her knees buckled, and she pissed herself from fear. She leaned her katana against the ground to keep from falling onto the grass.
"What the fuck did you do?" she reapeted in panic. "You're a murderer! How could you… she… she was my friend!" she said, tears in her eyes again. "They were all my friends!"
Zetto stepped closer to her. The second general watched him carefully, tongue out and mouth open. It raised a hand toward him, but froze halfway, as if struggling with itself.
"I envy you. I didn't have anyone," he said, moving even nearer.
Yua desperately tried to slash at Zetto with her katana, but he just leaned slightly to the side. Shivering, she fell face-first to the ground. She toppled onto her back, screaming and crying, her whole body shaking uncontrollably.
"P-please, no! What did I ever do to you?!"
Her last words angered him more than they should have.
"Die," he said, extending his open hand forward.
Zetto killed Yua with the same spell he had used on Asaki, but to avoid getting more messy, he stood a meter away from her. For a fraction of a second, he glanced back, and Rai was already gone. The Messenger closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He didn't feel relief or satisfaction. Quite the opposite. For some reason, he felt half-sad, half-numb to everything.
How could they take pleasure in causing pain to others? After what I just did, I feel so… hollow, yet I can't feel guilty.
It's either me or them. They set the rules of the game back in high school, and I've just been playing by their terms.
Zetto looked at the second general of the demon army with a hint of compassion.
Time to save someone from a pain even worse than what I went through.
The Messenger calmly approached the creature, which was still frozen in place. When he got close and placed his hand on its forehead, the demon's body began to shake again.
"I hope this is enough," he said, genuinely compassionate, his voice soft and gentle.
A golden glow with a light green, almost jade-like tint surrounded his enemy. Purple-black energy exploded, and with a scream no living being could make, it vanished into the sky, briefly covering the golden-jade shine. In the glow, a woman's figure lifted slightly, illuminated by Zetto's magic. Her body absorbed the jade color of the spell, as if feeding on its vitality, before falling onto the grass.
Moments later, a naked woman stood before Zetto. She had tan skin, black medium-length hair, dog-like ears and a tail, with pretty noticeable curves and a tiny bit of extra fat in some places. Judging by the width of her shoulders and her well-built arms, Zetto realized she had physical strength, but different from Tae. Tae probably got her six-pack through intense training, while this woman's strength was more primal. The dog-girl simply had to be bigger and stronger to survive.
The rescued woman opened her big blue eyes. She burst into tears and immediately ran to Zetto. She fell to her knees, wrapping him around the waist as tightly as she could. Zetto couldn't help noticing that she had quite a lot of hair in certain areas.
"Thank you, thank you so much," she said, genuinely moved. "Thank you for ending my nightmare! I promise I'll protect you, even if it costs my life, and serve you faithfully! Just please, don't leave me! I don't want to be alone! You're the only human who truly saw me!"
Zetto took off his cloak and, blushing, turned his head to the side.
"Could you put some clothes on first, please? I feel a little awkward
Before getting dressed and standing up, the dog-girl gave the fabric a sniff.
"I'll remember this scent for the rest of my life!" she shouted joyfully. Once she put on Zetto's cloak and wrapped it around herself so nothing was exposed, it reached her mid-thigh. "Unfortunately, I have no clothes and nothing at all. Everything was taken from me, and I only wanted to have my own pack, I…" Her lips trembled, and she started crying again. In a sudden rush of emotion, she hugged Zetto. The messenger let her, feeling that it was a wordless plea to be accepted.
I don't know what she went through or who - or what - made her end up controlled by that hateful demon shell, but I have to do something. I have to show her that this is the end of her pain.
Give her at least a bit of comfort, the kind I never had and that always escaped me when I needed it most. Can I even do that?
Zetto hugged her tighter, but there was nothing romantic about it, this wasn't the time or place for that. Besides, he felt his feelings slowly starting to grow toward someone else…
He held her more like a parent or a friend. Zetto placed his hand on her head.
"Don't worry," he finally said. "You'll be safe with me."
The woman started crying again, loudly this time, a mix of happiness, excitement, long-awaited peace, and, above all, a way to let out the sadness and suffering that had tormented her until now.
"Maghra," she whispered between sobs, "my name… please remember it…" She paused, then added more softly, hesitantly: "my master."
Zetto missed the last thing she said.
"I don't need to remember it, because that's how I'll call you."
Surprise and joy lit up Maghra's face.
Usually, they called me by my role, or just… dog. This is the first time someone actually wants to…
Maghra burst into tears again.
"Cry as much as you need. Get those emotions out. It'll get better later, because you have me and you'll meet new friends," Zetto said, his voice gentle, though a little sad. I really wish someone had said that to me. Instead, I always met only a silent darkness.
"No, I've had enough. I've cried too much in my life. Now it's time to finally be happy," she said, tears in the corners of her eyes, looking at Zetto with a warm smile.
The messenger let go a little, stepped beside Maghra, and took her hand. She looked at him, surprised, blushing, her tail starting to flick slightly.
"Otherwise my teleportation spell won't work on you" he said, looking into her eyes. He wanted to make it clear that his intentions were different. He knew how it might look.
"Ah, I see," she said, disappointed and looked to the side.
Zetto thought about Tae. He wanted to be near her.
He hoped she was safe, she had to be, after all, he'd cast that wide-range spell on the battlefield.
*
Tae waited alone among the carnage after the battle.
Zetto appeared in front of her, and before she could even notice, he had let go of Maghra's hand.
"Finally! Hey, who's this girl? Weren't you supposed to be fighting a demon general, not picking up some new chicks?! What the hell are you thinking?"
Before answering, Zetto glanced around the battlefield. He breathed a sigh of relief. On the hills and the meadow lay hundreds of dead magical beasts, but not a single Atoria soldier.
"Hello?! Are you even listening?! Who is she?! Hello, Zetto!" Tae snapped her fingers in front of his face. The Messenger drifted off in thought.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. My bad. I'm glad no one got hurt. As for your question, the new chick," he repeated her words looking at her with an ironic smile, "she's the second demon general."
"What? Are you out of your mind? That's a terrible joke".
"It's true," Maghra answered, looking down sadly. "I was born in the wild, but hunters captured me. Then I was a slave, and when they decided I was useless, they took me somewhere. I don't know where, because my eyes and ears were covered, and then I was killed. The last thing I remember is waking up inside that disgusting body. I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone. It's like your hatred, rage, and desire for revenge grew on your skin, trapped the rest of you inside, and started living its own life. I don't remember who brought me back or how I ended up there. Please, kind mistress, don't be afraid of me. I'll be useful for your team."
Tae sighed.
"So, I guess Zetto healed you," she said. Maghra nodded. "Then all that's left is to trust you too. Well, we should get back to camp and report what happened.. You'd better clean up your clothes," she added to Zetto with a slightly worried look.
"You're right, thanks."
A weak greenish light briefly surrounded him, wiping the dried blood from his clothes and the cloak of his now worn by Maghra.
I don't even know what those demons really are, but from Maghra's words, it seems like they are failed resurrection attempts. Who, or what, is behind this? Why do it at all, and why torture these poor souls who've already suffered so much?
Everything in my head is a total mess right now. Better focus on the here and now. There'll be time to think about this stuff later.
"Time to go" he said shortly.
"I've been trying to get you to do that for minutes," Tae replied, annoyed, giving Maghra a sharp look because she was walking very close to Zetto, like she didn't want to let him out of her sight. For now, Tae had to hide her jealousy and the faint sadness in her heart.
*
As Zetto's team walked into the camp, they found Alice tied up and gagged, terror written all over her face, surrounded by a squad of knights. At the front stood a man in full armor, wearing a purple cloak - the mark of a general. He held a sword glowing yellow right at Alice's throat.
"Hero Zetto," he said, "you're under arrest for betrayal of the state. You'll come with us voluntarily to the capital. This sword has been blessed by the highest-ranking priests and can erase any undead from existence."
"Hmhmhphm!" Alice tried to speak, but the general pressed the blessed blade closer to her neck, almost cutting her.
"Shut up," he commanded her.
Zetto's eyes flared with rage.
Alice is covered in bruises. Her arms have a bunch of small cuts and stabs. Earlier she explained to us that zombie bodies are really tough, so they must have worked hard to hurt her like this.
Motherfuckers.
Tae stared in disbelief and fear, first at the knights in front of them, then at Zetto with even more uncertainty. She saw the rage burning inside him, but he kept his cool.
He could tear them all apart in seconds! No, he won't, he's too reasonable for that. Right now, it's impossible to tell what he's really thinking; his face is torn between fury and a calm mask.
What are you gonna do, Zetto?
Tae thought, deeply worried, gazing at Zetto with sympathy and concern.