Kazuma felt a little bad about Raemis having to give up her newly acquired room to the young princess and having to settle for the couch. Then again, the alternative was him giving up his room, and he wasn't so keen on sleeping in the living room for a second night in a row.
Kazuma heard a knock on his bedroom door as he prepared to slip into his covers. He sighed as he reluctantly got up, scratching the back of his head as he turned the doorknob, pulling the door open.
"G-Good evening, Kazuma," Raemis whispered as Kazuma looked up at the demon. "May I come in?"
"What's up?" Kazuma bluntly replied as he moved to the side letting the demon walk in.
"I-I couldn't sleep," She admitted, sitting on the floor as Kazuma sat down at the edge of the bed. It was the dead of night, the silver moonlight illuminating the two, a warm golden glow emitting from Raemis' horn.
Raemis began to hug her legs, sitting in the fetal position as she rested her forehead on knees. Kazuma looked down at the demon before getting up and sitting beside her.
The two sat together for a time, the only sounds being of the gentle breeze outside. Raemis picked up her head, only to rest it onto Kazuma's shoulder.
"Are you alright?" Kazuma asked, trying to keep his cool as felt Raemis move closer toward him.
"Could I, possibly, hold onto you, Kazuma?"
"S-Sure,"
Raemis slipped her arms around Kazuma's, her head still resting on his shoulder as she closed her eyes. Her tail wrapped around his arm as well, locking Kazuma's arm in position. He was even more confused now, Raemis gently nuzzling against him as she held on tighter.
"Alright, what's bothering you?"
Raemis picked up her head and turned to look at Kazuma, seeing a slightly annoyed but worried look. She loosened her grip and moved an inch away from the adventurer.
"I-It's nothing! I just couldn't sleep tonight I guess…"
Kazuma squinted, staring down the demon.
"You're shaking,"
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"Oh…"
Raemis began to grip Kazuma's arm tighter, her head lowering to avoid making eye contact. She could feel a lone tear slowly fall down her cheek as she tried her hardest to compose herself.
"I-I just had a terrible nightmare," Raemis choked out her voice shaking. "About the things I've done. T-The terrible things I've done,"
Kazuma stayed silent, unsure of how to respond. Raemis started to silently cry, her emotions overwhelming her as Kazuma gently stroked her back with his freed arm.
Raemis suddenly began to ferociously wipe her tears from her eyes, gritting her teeth as she did so.
"I don't have the right to cry," Raemis whispered as she suddenly rose up, leaving Kazuma sitting alone on the floor, gazing up at the demon staring out the bedroom window.
"Goodnight Kazuma,"
Raemis walked over to the door, hesitating as her hand hovered over the doorknob.
"Thank you…" she whispered, then opened the door and exited the room.
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"What was that about?"
Kazuma groaned as he trudged out into the living room. The winter sun shined brightly through the window, the white snow outside seeming to sparkle as he walked towards the kitchen.
"Good morning!" Iris greeted as she sat at the dining room table, smiling happily as she enjoyed her breakfast, quite prim and proper Kazuma noticed. He sat down across from the princess, watching her cut her fried egg with a knife and fork.
Darkness sat down with her own breakfast in hand, sitting next to the princess and greeting Kazuma. He wordlessly reached over the table and pinched Iris' cheek.
"Big brother! Why did you do that?" Iris exclaimed, pouting at the adventurer as he grinned ear to ear.
"Kazuma, please refrain from doing such a thing to the princess," Darkness scolded.
"Just happy to see my cute little sister,"
"I sent the letter out just now," Darkness said, changing the topic.
"Oh yeah, what did you write?"
"I wrote that one of the Demon King's generals had captured the princess, but they were swiftly dealt with by us,"
"Neat,"
"Mornin," Aqua groaned as she walked into the room still dressed in her pajamas. She yawned as she scratched her stomach, sitting next to Kazuma. She crossed her arms on the table and laid her head down.
"Hey Aq-"
"Don't talk to me right now," Aqua blurted out, cutting the adventurer off, "My head is killing me,"
"Shouldn't you be at work?" Kazuma asked.
"I have the day off," Aqua groaned, "By the way, your demon girlfriend is sleeping on the floor right now,"
Darkness started coughing as she began choking on some water. Iris beamed at Kazuma as he began turning a little pink.
"Big brother you and Raemis are lovers?!" She squealed as she leaned towards him.
"No!" Darkness exclaimed.
"Wait, you said sleeping on the floor?" Kazuma asked, wanting to change the topic.
"Yeah, almost tripped over her getting here though the living room,"
"I'll go wake her up…"
"Raemis," Kazuma called out. The demon was sleeping on her side, curled up in front of the waning fireplace.
"Raemis,"
He noticed the demon's nightgown was slipping off her shoulder, giving him a slight peak at a bit more of her chest than usual…
He took the chance, crouching down so he could take a closer look at Raemis' breasts, trying to will the nightgown to slip down even further with all his might. He couldn't help but notice its ample size, the way it heaved up and down as she breathed softly, the way they pressed together…
"Darling…" He heard the demon softly whisper, rolling over flat onto her back, her arms next to her head. Kazuma noticed that her new position gave him a better view of her chest, but more so that her long hair seemed to spread out like a field of freshly laid, soft white snow.
He couldn't imagine someone so powerful, someone he feared might kill not only himself, but more importantly his party members just a few days ago, could be laying in front of him, so innocent and vulnerable. How could such a person be a former demon king's general?
"Darling…" Raemis whispered, her arms slowly out stretching towards Kazuma, her eyes slowly fluttered awake.
"Good mo-"
Kazuma's greeting was cut off when the demon wrapped her arms around Kazuma's neck. Before he could respond, she pulled him into her warm embrace. His head collided with her chest, turning him bright red, almost as red as her.
"Darling, were you ogling my body?"
Kazuma couldn't respond, his face was buried in her cleavage, opening his mouth would only make things worse, or better now that he thought about it. Raemis giggled to herself as she looked down at the adventurer in her arms.
"You can look at my body as much as you want darling," Raemis whispered, squeezing tighter, her tail wrapping around his body as well. "You can even feel as much as you want…"
It took all his might, but he broke from the embrace, standing up to see Raemis giggling to herself, a little crimson blush on her freckled cheeks. As much as he enjoyed that whole interaction, his heart belonged to someone else.
"You know, when you said Iris could sleep in your room and you would sleep in the living room," Kazuma huffed as he straightened his clothes. "I thought you were going to sleep on the couch, not the floor,"
"It was cold," she bluntly responded, fixing her nightgown and hair as she got up.
"That's no excuse to sleep on the-"
Kauzma was shut up with yet another embrace, his face unfortunately not between her breasts this time, but resting gently on her shoulder.
"Darling…"
"Why do you keep calling me darling…"
"Darling…"
"..."
He could feel her squeeze tighter, her strong arms pulling him closer to the demon. The feeling of her cheek resting gently against the side of his head, the same height as his forehead, gave him a small amount of comfort and warmth.
"Rameis," Kazuma called, wrapping his arms around her, the demon hugging a bit tighter in response. "Are you feeling alright?"
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"Kazuma,"
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"Y-Yes?"
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"If I were to do anything brash… or lose control of myself…
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I want you to kill me,"
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"K-Kill you?!"
"Yes,"
"I couldn't possibly-"
"I know you'll find a way, you always do…
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My hero,"
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"A-Alright,"
"Thank you, Kazuma," Raemis loosened her grip, allowing for Kazuma to back up slightly, only for the demon to bend down and place a small kiss on the adventurer's forehead.
"Kissing too?!"
The two heard a voice cry out from behind them. They turned to see the small princess red in the face.
"You must be lovers! You must!"
"Yes!" Raemis teased, squeezing Kazuma into her embrace once again. She picked him off the ground, leaving his feet to dangle as he struggled to escape.
"N-No!"
"Princess Iris, what would you like to do today?" Darkness asked with a gentle smile on her face, crouched down on one knee to be eye to eye with the young ruler.
Raemis had gotten dressed, and the party was currently in the living room enjoying the warmth of the fire.
"I'm not sure…" She replied, looking down at her feet.
"Come on, Iris," Kazuma began to pet Iris on her head from behind her. "We can do whatever you want today,"
"Then I want to go on a quest with you!" Iris beamed, grinning ear to ear.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Darkness warned. "Other than your sword, you don't have any other protective equipment,"
"It's alright, I can do this!" Iris ran to her blade, which was where it was propped up the day before. She picked it up and carefully drew it from its sheath, causing a blinding white light to emanate.
When the light dissipated, the princess was dressed in her blue battle dress, the white frills and golden highlights emitting a royal elegance around the young princess.
"A-Amazing," Megumin muttered, her eyes glowing a soft red as she looked on in awe.
"When are you gonna learn that?" Kazuma teased as he nudged Megumin with his elbow. "You're a magical girl too,"
"You know why I haven't learned that yet!" she pouted, punching Kazuma lightly.
"Now can I go? Lady Lalatina?" Iris pleaded, looking up at Darkness as she sheathed her sword.
"A-Alright, but you have to promise me you'll be careful," The crusader reluctantly replied.
"Thank you!"
"Good morning!" Luna, the usual receptionist, greeted the party. "How can I help you today?"
"Morning," Kazuma greeted back.
Luna looked behind him to see the usual party. Megumin checked on her staff to make sure it was in good condition. Darkness was doing the same for her newly repaired armor, making sure it was in fit to protect the princess. Aqua was hunched over, being unwillingly dragged along, a dead look on her face.
A closer look revealed two new, unfamiliar figures beside them however, perking the interest of the receptionist. One had their hood up, a dark cloak wrapping around them, obscuring their face and body. The other was in a navy blue battle dress, a regal appearance for an adventurer.
"Who are your new party members, Kazuma?" She asked, causing him to freeze.
"O-Oh, uh,"
"Hello, I am lrene, a distant cousin of Lady Darkness," Iris introduced, followed by a bow and a curtsy of her dress. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance,"
She turned to Raemis, who stood silently next to her. "This is my retainer, she would like to stay anonymous, so I pray you'll understand,"
"I-I see," A slightly confused looking Luna responded.
"Nice save," Kazuma whispered before turning back to Luna, hiding a thumbs up behind his back. "On another note, I'm looking for some quests that are available,"
"Oh well I have one that's just perfect for your party!" Luna exclaimed as she pulled out a sheet of paper and placed it on the counter. "There's rumors of an outbreak of monsters that have been showing up at the nearby forest. I need you to make sure nothing strange is happening there,"
"Sounds good! We'll take it!" Kazuma exclaimed as he snatched the paper and walked away. "Thank you Luna!"
"Good luck!"
"Kazuma, Kazuma! That sounds dangerous! What if the princess gets hurt!" Darkness whispered as she tugged on his arm.
"It'll be fine! Most likely it's nothing and we just spend the night outside and we get to go home. And besides if something does show up I doubt it'll be any problem with Raemis around."
"A-Alright,"
The party set out for the forest, packed with all the necessary supplies they'll need for a night out in the wilderness. Iris had a skip in her step as she excitedly walked alongside Darkness, who was dressed in her armor instead of her winter coat. Kazuma was following not so far behind, in his winter jacket. Megumin was at his right, also in winter cloak, holding her staff in one hand, trying to subtly brush her hand against Kazuma's with her other. Aqua was practically dragging herself along, stumbling along as she coped with her massive headache.
Raemis looked around, making sure that they were far enough from the walls of the city for anyone to see them. She let down her hood, her long, puffy snow white hair falling down as she ran up to Kazuma. He felt the demon wrap her muscular arms around him, squeezing him tightly as he almost fell forward.
"Darling!"
"H-Hey! Get off of him!" Megumin exclaimed as she pulled him by the arm.
"Raemis, what are you doing?!" Kazuma yelled as he tried to release Raemis' tight grip, which only resulted in her squeezing tighter.
"Dar~ling! It's so cold!" Raemis giggled as nuzzled the top of Kazuma's head with her cheek.
"That's what you get for not borrowing Darkness' clothes!" he said as he struggled to break free from her embrace, trying to ignore the fact his head was currently between her breasts.
"But they're so stuffy! And I wouldn't have an excuse to cuddle up to you!"
"You just stole this from Darkness!"
Megumin was trying with all her might to pull off the demon, pulling on her cloak to separate the two. Her efforts were in vain however, as the two barely moved an inch.
"Let go of him! He's mine!"
By now Darkness and Iris had turned around to see what all the commotion was behind them. Darkness turned red in the face and tried to cover the young girl's eyes. Iris however had already run up to the pair, arms outstretched.
"I want a hug too!" Iris exclaimed with a big smile on her face.
"Of course!" Raemis exclaimed as she scooped the princess, squeezing Kazuma between herself and Iris. She held them tightly and picked them up, Kazuma shouting to let him down, Iris giggling as the demon spun them around, a toothy grin on her face.
The party set up camp at the location specified by the quest. They sat on logs around the campfire, Megumin sitting next to Raemis and Iris, watching her play a game on her handheld console with great interest. Aqua was lazing around in her sleeping bag, coping with her hangover. Kazuma was preparing the cooking pot for dinner, Darkness looking over his shoulder.
He got out the ingredients for the stew he was preparing, making sure he wasn't missing anything, before casting Create Water into the metal pot. He threw in the various vegetables, mushrooms and meats he packed, watching it steam up as he stirred it over the campfire. Darkness watched in awe as she observed him prepare dinner.
"You get more handy by the minute…" Darkness whispered.
"Thanks," Kazuma muttered, not looking up from his work.
"You'll take good care of her…"
Before Kazuma could respond, he heard Aqua calling out to him.
"Kazumaaaaaa, where's the food?" She groaned.
"Be patient!" He snapped, not even looking towards Aqua's direction. "Sorry Darkness, what was that?"
"It's nothing…"
"Darling!" Raemis exclaimed. "Where's the food!"
"It'll be ready in a minute,"
The party all held their wooden bowls, enjoying the warmth of the soup in their hands. The soup warmed their spirits, making the cold winter night just a little more bearable. Megumin sat to Kazuma's right, Darkness to her left. Iris sat across the fire, chatting away with Raemis, a big smile on her face. Aqua had already pounded down two bowls, and was fast asleep.
"This is delicious, Kazuma!" Megumin complimented, drinking another spoonful from her bowl.
"You get better at cooking everyday," Darkness added. "It's really good,"
"I'm glad you like it," Kazuma replied as he raised his spoon.
"K-Kazuma!" Megumin exclaimed, causing him to stop. "You must be tired after cooking, let me f-feed you!"
The mage stuck out her spoon and shoved it into Kazuma's face, making him lean back slightly.
"Come on!"
"Hey!" Darkness said as she held out her spoon as well. " A-Ahh-hh,"
"It's fine you two, you don't have to feed me,"
"Don't be like that, let me spoil you," Megumin pouted as she shoved the spoon even closer to his face. Kazuma noticed her cheeks were painted with the slightest hints of pink as she wore a determined look, his face being washed with the soft crimson glow of her eyes. He reluctantly let the mage push the spoon unto his mouth, her lips instantly curving into a smile.
"O-Over here Kazuma," Darkness whispered, a nervous look adorning her face as Kazuma turned to face her. She could feel her cheeks begin to burn as he made eye contact for a moment, then closed his eyes and opened his mouth. She sheepishly fed him and buried her face in her hands out of embarrassment.
"Look over there," Raemis whispered to Iris. "Your brother is at the center of a love triangle. Isn't that cute?"
Iris looked up at Raemis in awe, stars in her eyes as her mouth was agape in shock. She turned to look at the trio, then back at the demon.
"He's just like the heroes in the ancient tales!" she whispered back.
"Yeah!" Raemis exclaimed with a smile on her face, having no idea of what she was talking about. "Who do you think is gonna win?"
"Lady Lalatina has never been so embarrassed around someone before, she must truly be in love! But then again big brother told me about how he saved Miss Megumin from a life of loneliness and poverty!" Iris squealed, the eyes sparkling even brighter. "It's so romantic!"
Raemis could stop laughing as the Princess continued to talk. When she could finally breathe, she leaned in close to Iris.
"Do you see this mark on my horn?" Raemis whispered into her ear, pointing up to the top of her head. "Do you know what it means?"
She shook her head, looking up at the soft golden glow emitting from the demon's horn. "It's very pretty,"
"It means that…" She pointed over to the adventurer, who was currently being squeezed on both sides, Darkness and Megumin trying their hardest to get the most attention. "Your big brother and I are destined to marry!"
"Marry?!" She squealed, standing up. "Big brother, you're going to get married?!"
Kazuma suddenly turned red, looking over at Iris' direction. The two girls followed suit, their faces turning even more red.
"N-No!" They all said in unison.
The cold winter night stung on Kazuma's cheeks. The soft glow of the fire illuminated the rest of the party, fast asleep in their sleeping bags. Sitting on a log, he kept watch for any monster that might sneak up on them in the darkness of night. He felt a pull on his sleeve, looking down to see a smiling Iris, sitting next to him.
"Isn't this fun big brother?!" she beamed, kicking her feet as she smiled up at the adventurer.
"I'm glad you're having fun Iris," he replied, smiling back.
"Princess, don't you think you should get some rest?" Darkness asked, who was sitting next to Iris. "A princess needs her beauty sleep,"
"N-No, I'm not tired,"
"Come on Darkness, let her stay up for a little while. How often do you think she gets to stay up late,"
"I-I suppose…"
Iris looked around with determination, careful to check every tree and brush of any threats. Kazuma looked down at the small girl, grinning as he ruffled her hair.
"Kazuma, refrain from touching the princess like that,"
"I-It's alright Lady Lalatina…" Iris whispered as she tilted her head towards the adventurer.
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"Darkness, aren't you cold in your armor? Shouldn't you have worn your winter clothes?"
"I need to be as armored as possible, I have to protect the princess after all. The cold doesn't bother me,"
"I can protect myself, Lady Lalatina…" Iris whispered softly. Kazuma chuckled as he massaged her scalp, the princess slowly resting her head on his arm.
"Are you sure you're not tired?" Kazuma teased.
"N-No…." She weakly replied, rubbing her eyes as she struggled to suppress a yawn. "I can stay up… a bit longer…"
"It's alright, you worked hard today Princess Iris," Darkness whispered as she took her hand. "It's time for bed," She said with a smile.
"A-Alright…" She whispered as she stood up with Darkness. "Good night big brother…"
"Good night Iris. Good work today,"
Darkness tucked her into her sleeping bag and returned to Kazuma's side. They sat for a while, not saying a word as he stared out into the forest. Darkness watched his emerald eyes scan the landscape. The fire danced, sending small embers flying through the air, Kazuma's eyes seemed to sparkle brightly through the darkness to her.
"Kazuma,"
"Yeah?"
"Do you mind if I take off my armor?"
"Alright,"
She began to undo the straps on her gauntlet, Kazuma watching closely as she removed the heavy equipment.
"Why are you watching," She bashfully said, her cheeks turning a soft pink. "You don't have to make it so obvious that you're ogling my vulnerable body, undressing me with your lustful eyes,"
"I'm just making sure you're armor is fixed properly," He sighed, "It's my job after all,"
Darkness silently began to remove the rest of her armor, taking great care to not make eye contact. As she removed her chest plate, she could feel Kazuma's gaze grow more intense as her breasts were freed from its confines.
"H-Hey, don't stare so much," She panted, covering her chest with her arms. "It's embarrassing,"
"S-Sorry!" Kazuma said as he turned around.
Darkness sighed as she put on her winter coat, instantly warming up as she put on her pants as well.
"You can look now," She whispered, only to turn around to see that Kazuma was deeply into the fire.
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"Kazuma,"
"Mhm?"
The crusader shifted closer towards Kazuma.
"I've noticed that you really dote on the princess," She mentioned. "You were also very kind to Komekko when we visited Megumin's hometown, I was wondering why that is, you don't seem like the type to be good around kids,"
Kazuma hesitated for a second, looking into Darkness' ocean blue eyes, they looked a little tired, but still full of energy at the same time. He couldn't help but get lost in them, noticing that her cheeks were adorned with a shade of soft pink.
"Kazuma?"
"Oh I um," Kazuma quickly looked back into the woods. He scratched the back of his head, pondering his next words. "I guess I can tell you,"
Darkness stayed quiet, not wanting to rush the adventurer as he gathered his thoughts.
"Back home, where I came from, I had a younger sister, she's probably a year or two older than Iris now.
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Before I left, I wasn't the greatest older brother, I hardly talked to her,"
Kazuma looked up at the stars, looking up at the strange constellations of a different world that he could never get used to.
"That's about it… I guess," Kazuma sighed.
Darkness watched as a lone tear fell down his cheek, the adventurer still staring up into the night sky.
"Kazuma," she whispered.
She slipped her hand on top of Kazuma's, making him flinch. He looked away from her, hiding his face.
"You can tell me," She squeezed his hand gently. "I won't judge…"
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"Every once and a while, I'm reminded of her.
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And I feel such an immense guilt wash over me, like I should've done more, been a better brother,
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How I left her all alone,
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Without telling her, without ever explaining to her.
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Maybe I'm atoning for it by being the best older brother I can be to Iris.
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Even though she has one already,
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A real one, a prince, not just an adventurer playing pretend,"
Darkness leaned over and wiped the tear from his face, causing him to look at the crusader's face, a gentle smile adorning her lips.
"You're more of an older brother to her than the prince," She softly spoke. "To her, you're a older brother that she can look up to, one that loves her very much, and she very much loves too,"
Kazuma didn't respond, staying silent as she continued to talk.
"I've met the prince, a small handful of times. The forced smile that Princess Iris wore as she talked to him, the cold way he ignored her… As much as I personally wish you weren't so close to the princess, I must admit, you're one of the few things she can look forward to in the morning to bring her a smile,"
Darkness held onto both of Kazuma's cold hands, gently caressing them as she whispered.
"I know you can't ever return to your homeland, or ever contact your family, but I'm sure you've more than atoned for your past,"
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Kazuma felt another tear fall down his cheek, then another. Darkness softly pulled head into her embrace, caressing his body as he sobbed quietly into Darkness' shoulder. She held onto him tightly, not daring to let the vulnerable adventurer go.