Chapter 13:
Chapter Thirteen: Alone and lonely
Saving the demon queen in another world
“Why did this happen to me right after having that dream?” I whispered, soaking the already wet ground with fresh tears. My fists pounded against it again and again until the bones shattered, sending sharp pain through my arms.
Only after my fists were broken did I drag myself back to the rock, sitting down in the little shade it provided from the blazing sun directly above.
The food Milta had brought me remained untouched. Hours passed before a sudden blare of trumpets echoed from the town.
Startled, I slipped behind the rock and, from a distance, watched the massive gate slowly creak open.
“Is her party leaving?” The thought struck me like lightning. I quickly packed the food she had given me, wrapped the basket with the cloth I had spread out earlier, and ran full speed toward the gate—keeping my distance from the town and its scattered run-down houses.
Even at full speed, it took me five minutes to reach the gate. By the time I arrived, the party was already beginning their march.
Hiding behind a tree, I peeked out at the eager, determined faces of the adventurers mounted on their ground dragons.
They were a diverse mix: mages, swordsmen, wizards, and fighters of all races. For the first time, I saw beast-men up close. Just like their name suggested, they bore the features of wild animals from my world—claws, fur, fangs.
The vanguard consisted of elves and long-range magicians, while the center was made of close-combat warriors. Behind them…
Bad-ump. Bad-ump.
…was Milta, calmly leading the healers’ division.
And trailing just behind her squad—my heart sank—were the heroes.
They were unmistakable. Their outfits matched Klad’s, and the sight of them made my blood boil. At the front rode Rart, the sadistic bastard who had tortured me, mounted on a massive winged dragon.
Unlike ground dragons, these creatures were true dragons: scaled, winged, radiating strength.
The other four heroes each rode one as well. A beast-man. An elf. A fearsome dwarf with a hammer the size of his own body. And the last…
The last was a human.
But something about him was wrong. His dragon was pure white, and he rode with a lazy air, smiling and frowning at once, composed yet strangely unsteady. Even a weakling like me could feel it—he was twice as powerful as the others.
The crowd erupted in cheers, showering the heroes with flowers as they approached the shimmering gate. Another trumpet sounded, and a blue veil enveloped the gate as they marched into it, vanishing the moment they touched the barrier.
“Teleportation…?” I muttered.
But my heart twisted painfully as Milta reached the veil atop her ground dragon and disappeared.
I couldn’t bear to look anymore. I ducked behind the tree until the deafening sound of the gates closing filled the air.“This is for the best,” I told myself. “Being with Milta will only drag her into trouble. She deserves to pursue her dreams without me… Besides, that dream I had earlier—it felt too real.”
Dusting off my pants, I turned away from the city, making the long trek back to my mountain base as night crept in.
---
The road back stretched endlessly, at least ten kilometers. My stomach growled.
“I wish there was something edible besides those watermelons… Some herbivore animals would be nice too.”
By the time I reached the mountain, the moon hung high in the sky. Familiarity reassured me—it was safe. I devoured nearly all of Milta’s food, sparing only two loaves of bread, then lay on a flat rock beside the mountain and closed my eyes.
---
Morning came.
I began exploring the mountain, searching for a proper shelter, and discovered two caves.
The first was at the mountain’s base, narrow at the entrance but opening into a tall, wide chamber with flat ground inside. It would have been perfect—if not for the choke-point entrance that would trap me in an attack.
The second cave’s entrance gaped five meters up the sheer rock face. The surface was too smooth to climb. Unreachable.
With no better choice, I settled for the first cave. I tore large leaves from fruitless trees and spread them out for a makeshift mattress.
Later that afternoon, I headed to gather watermelons, only to stop dead in my tracks.
“They’re… gone!?”
The entire field had vanished. Not a single watermelon, not even a seed remained—as if they had never existed.
I sprinted frantically through the area, searching, searching—but after two hours, I found nothing. Exhausted, I trudged back toward my bread stash.
Then—rustling. Something darted from the bushes, moving so fast it blurred, and vanished.
“A monster?” I gripped my longsword. But no—the capital’s barrier was supposed to keep all monsters out.
Still, unease prickled at me. Sword raised in both trembling hands, I called out:
“Come out!”
The bushes rustled. Two long ears appeared.
Then… a rabbit hopped out. Black and white, nose twitching, completely unconcerned with me.
“A—A rabbit!?” My shout startled even me. The rabbit, however, didn’t care.
I dropped my sword carefully, preparing to lunge and catch it when—suddenly—a dozen more appeared. Then dozens more.
“What the…?”
Within minutes, over ten rabbits were sniffing around for food. I had searched this area countless times and never once found them. Now they multiplied before my eyes.
Annoyance boiled over. I snatched up my sword and hurled it at the biggest one. But the rabbit dodged at the last second, my blade burying itself uselessly into the dirt.“Damn you!” I roared, charging at them with wild, clumsy swings. The rabbits darted, their beady eyes glinting with mischief.
They led me in circles, mocking me. Rage fueled me as I chased them into the abandoned watermelon fields—only to freeze in shock.
The entire area had been transformed. Rabbit burrows pockmarked the ground. Countless rabbits hopped freely as though they had always ruled here.
“What… is going on!?” My voice cracked with confusion and fear.
For hours I chased them, determined to catch at least one, until I suddenly realized how far I had strayed. The mountain was a speck in the distance.
Finally, cornering one exhausted rabbit, I hurled my sword with desperate force. When I opened my eyes, the blade had missed, but the rabbit lay collapsed, unconscious.
“Lucky…” I muttered, grabbing its ears. Oddly, I felt no exhaustion despite hours of pursuit.
Then—my hand brushed something cold and wet. I turned—and froze.
A transparent wall rose before me, stretching endlessly into the sky. The barrier.
The rabbit must have struck it at full speed, knocking itself out.
Cautiously, I pressed my palm against it. Instead of solid resistance, it rippled like water. My hand slid through freely.
“…So the barrier isn’t absolute?” My pulse quickened.
Driven by reckless curiosity, I stepped forward. My body was swallowed in a heavy, water-like resistance, then—
I emerged on the other side.
The air shifted instantly. Tall grasses swayed, and beyond lay a dense, shadowed forest.
“Wow… I left the capital.”
Hunger gnawed at me. Ignoring the danger, I entered the forest in search of fruit.
But towering trees lay shattered as though struck by monstrous force. Beautiful herbs sprouted in clusters, reminding me of the ones I had once stuffed into my pockets. I replaced the old with fresh and pressed on.
Minutes later, a thunderous crash shook the forest. A massive tree toppled in the distance. My blood ran cold. Someone—or something—was here.
I turned back toward the barrier, panic tightening my chest. But as I leapt a fallen trunk, a presence loomed behind me.
Gone in an instant.
“No… I’m imagining things…” I told myself. But I wasn’t.
I climbed a slope and froze.
It stood before me—a monstrous gazelle, black as night, its three eyes burning with malice. The beast was the size of a zebra, its long, coiled horns glinting like blades. Smoke poured from its nostrils as its hooves struck the ground rhythmically, preparing to charge.
Monsters. I had forgotten about monsters.
My body locked in terror. Then instinct screamed, and I bolted.
The creature thundered after me, closing the gap. I zigzagged desperately between trees, dodging with newfound agility, but its power was overwhelming.With an ear-splitting crack, it knocked down a massive tree like a twig.
“What the hell… What the hell… What the hell!!”
The barrier came into view. I sprinted with everything I had left.
But the gazelle launched into the air with terrifying speed, soaring above me. I barely dodged as it crashed down, shaking the earth.
Desperate, I charged straight at it. It leapt again, lower this time, its horns aiming for my chest.
Summoning every ounce of will, I vaulted upward at the last second, locking eyes with all three of its monstrous gazes in midair.
Time slowed.
The beast twisted mid-leap, chasing me even in the air. Death loomed—
Then I felt it. The suffocating pressure of water engulfed me.
A sickening crash followed.
I landed, gasping, inside the barrier. The monster slammed into it, repelled with explosive force.
The same barrier I had thought useless had just saved my life.
Bad-ump. Bad-ump. My heart hammered violently as I watched the creature rear back, slamming its horns again and again into the wall between us.
“I… I did it…” I whispered, trembling.
Only after my fists were broken did I drag myself back to the rock, sitting down in the little shade it provided from the blazing sun directly above.
The food Milta had brought me remained untouched. Hours passed before a sudden blare of trumpets echoed from the town.
Startled, I slipped behind the rock and, from a distance, watched the massive gate slowly creak open.
“Is her party leaving?” The thought struck me like lightning. I quickly packed the food she had given me, wrapped the basket with the cloth I had spread out earlier, and ran full speed toward the gate—keeping my distance from the town and its scattered run-down houses.
Even at full speed, it took me five minutes to reach the gate. By the time I arrived, the party was already beginning their march.
Hiding behind a tree, I peeked out at the eager, determined faces of the adventurers mounted on their ground dragons.
They were a diverse mix: mages, swordsmen, wizards, and fighters of all races. For the first time, I saw beast-men up close. Just like their name suggested, they bore the features of wild animals from my world—claws, fur, fangs.
The vanguard consisted of elves and long-range magicians, while the center was made of close-combat warriors. Behind them…
Bad-ump. Bad-ump.
…was Milta, calmly leading the healers’ division.
And trailing just behind her squad—my heart sank—were the heroes.
They were unmistakable. Their outfits matched Klad’s, and the sight of them made my blood boil. At the front rode Rart, the sadistic bastard who had tortured me, mounted on a massive winged dragon.
Unlike ground dragons, these creatures were true dragons: scaled, winged, radiating strength.
The other four heroes each rode one as well. A beast-man. An elf. A fearsome dwarf with a hammer the size of his own body. And the last…
The last was a human.
But something about him was wrong. His dragon was pure white, and he rode with a lazy air, smiling and frowning at once, composed yet strangely unsteady. Even a weakling like me could feel it—he was twice as powerful as the others.
The crowd erupted in cheers, showering the heroes with flowers as they approached the shimmering gate. Another trumpet sounded, and a blue veil enveloped the gate as they marched into it, vanishing the moment they touched the barrier.
“Teleportation…?” I muttered.
But my heart twisted painfully as Milta reached the veil atop her ground dragon and disappeared.
I couldn’t bear to look anymore. I ducked behind the tree until the deafening sound of the gates closing filled the air.“This is for the best,” I told myself. “Being with Milta will only drag her into trouble. She deserves to pursue her dreams without me… Besides, that dream I had earlier—it felt too real.”
Dusting off my pants, I turned away from the city, making the long trek back to my mountain base as night crept in.
---
The road back stretched endlessly, at least ten kilometers. My stomach growled.
“I wish there was something edible besides those watermelons… Some herbivore animals would be nice too.”
By the time I reached the mountain, the moon hung high in the sky. Familiarity reassured me—it was safe. I devoured nearly all of Milta’s food, sparing only two loaves of bread, then lay on a flat rock beside the mountain and closed my eyes.
---
Morning came.
I began exploring the mountain, searching for a proper shelter, and discovered two caves.
The first was at the mountain’s base, narrow at the entrance but opening into a tall, wide chamber with flat ground inside. It would have been perfect—if not for the choke-point entrance that would trap me in an attack.
The second cave’s entrance gaped five meters up the sheer rock face. The surface was too smooth to climb. Unreachable.
With no better choice, I settled for the first cave. I tore large leaves from fruitless trees and spread them out for a makeshift mattress.
Later that afternoon, I headed to gather watermelons, only to stop dead in my tracks.
“They’re… gone!?”
The entire field had vanished. Not a single watermelon, not even a seed remained—as if they had never existed.
I sprinted frantically through the area, searching, searching—but after two hours, I found nothing. Exhausted, I trudged back toward my bread stash.
Then—rustling. Something darted from the bushes, moving so fast it blurred, and vanished.
“A monster?” I gripped my longsword. But no—the capital’s barrier was supposed to keep all monsters out.
Still, unease prickled at me. Sword raised in both trembling hands, I called out:
“Come out!”
The bushes rustled. Two long ears appeared.
Then… a rabbit hopped out. Black and white, nose twitching, completely unconcerned with me.
“A—A rabbit!?” My shout startled even me. The rabbit, however, didn’t care.
I dropped my sword carefully, preparing to lunge and catch it when—suddenly—a dozen more appeared. Then dozens more.
“What the…?”
Within minutes, over ten rabbits were sniffing around for food. I had searched this area countless times and never once found them. Now they multiplied before my eyes.
Annoyance boiled over. I snatched up my sword and hurled it at the biggest one. But the rabbit dodged at the last second, my blade burying itself uselessly into the dirt.“Damn you!” I roared, charging at them with wild, clumsy swings. The rabbits darted, their beady eyes glinting with mischief.
They led me in circles, mocking me. Rage fueled me as I chased them into the abandoned watermelon fields—only to freeze in shock.
The entire area had been transformed. Rabbit burrows pockmarked the ground. Countless rabbits hopped freely as though they had always ruled here.
“What… is going on!?” My voice cracked with confusion and fear.
For hours I chased them, determined to catch at least one, until I suddenly realized how far I had strayed. The mountain was a speck in the distance.
Finally, cornering one exhausted rabbit, I hurled my sword with desperate force. When I opened my eyes, the blade had missed, but the rabbit lay collapsed, unconscious.
“Lucky…” I muttered, grabbing its ears. Oddly, I felt no exhaustion despite hours of pursuit.
Then—my hand brushed something cold and wet. I turned—and froze.
A transparent wall rose before me, stretching endlessly into the sky. The barrier.
The rabbit must have struck it at full speed, knocking itself out.
Cautiously, I pressed my palm against it. Instead of solid resistance, it rippled like water. My hand slid through freely.
“…So the barrier isn’t absolute?” My pulse quickened.
Driven by reckless curiosity, I stepped forward. My body was swallowed in a heavy, water-like resistance, then—
I emerged on the other side.
The air shifted instantly. Tall grasses swayed, and beyond lay a dense, shadowed forest.
“Wow… I left the capital.”
Hunger gnawed at me. Ignoring the danger, I entered the forest in search of fruit.
But towering trees lay shattered as though struck by monstrous force. Beautiful herbs sprouted in clusters, reminding me of the ones I had once stuffed into my pockets. I replaced the old with fresh and pressed on.
Minutes later, a thunderous crash shook the forest. A massive tree toppled in the distance. My blood ran cold. Someone—or something—was here.
I turned back toward the barrier, panic tightening my chest. But as I leapt a fallen trunk, a presence loomed behind me.
Gone in an instant.
“No… I’m imagining things…” I told myself. But I wasn’t.
I climbed a slope and froze.
It stood before me—a monstrous gazelle, black as night, its three eyes burning with malice. The beast was the size of a zebra, its long, coiled horns glinting like blades. Smoke poured from its nostrils as its hooves struck the ground rhythmically, preparing to charge.
Monsters. I had forgotten about monsters.
My body locked in terror. Then instinct screamed, and I bolted.
The creature thundered after me, closing the gap. I zigzagged desperately between trees, dodging with newfound agility, but its power was overwhelming.With an ear-splitting crack, it knocked down a massive tree like a twig.
“What the hell… What the hell… What the hell!!”
The barrier came into view. I sprinted with everything I had left.
But the gazelle launched into the air with terrifying speed, soaring above me. I barely dodged as it crashed down, shaking the earth.
Desperate, I charged straight at it. It leapt again, lower this time, its horns aiming for my chest.
Summoning every ounce of will, I vaulted upward at the last second, locking eyes with all three of its monstrous gazes in midair.
Time slowed.
The beast twisted mid-leap, chasing me even in the air. Death loomed—
Then I felt it. The suffocating pressure of water engulfed me.
A sickening crash followed.
I landed, gasping, inside the barrier. The monster slammed into it, repelled with explosive force.
The same barrier I had thought useless had just saved my life.
Bad-ump. Bad-ump. My heart hammered violently as I watched the creature rear back, slamming its horns again and again into the wall between us.
“I… I did it…” I whispered, trembling.
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