Chapter 21: Night The Demon Commanders dragged Jerry down the extending red hall that never seemed to end. “So, uhh. Where are we going?” Jerry asked. “To the shower of course. You must be tired, so you must have a bath” One of them said. There was a hint of threat in the way it was being told and that scared Jerry a little bit. “What about we free my men first?” Jerry asked, thinking of ways to buy time. “You’re right! We should also have them take a bath!” Another one said. “Excellent idea, Jepel can you go fetch our new Lord’s men?” A commander said. “As you wish” One of them said before breaking off. “You know, I’m really tired. Can I just, go to bed?” “Sure, we’ll bring you extra pillows” “Can I just leave?” “We should have the dogs watch after you” “Can you stop trying to kill me?” “We only take care of you until you’re out of our care, Sir” Jerry knew that he was fucked in a nutshell. He had to be very cautious around them. Jerry could handle them one by one, but he didn’t think he could handle them all at once. As they entered the shower, two of the commanders broke off and stood at the entrance as the rest entered a changing room. “You change here, My Lord” One of them gestured to a small spot of the changing room. Jerry didn’t ask a question and went towards it. It was a small room with very little space to move around in. On the wall, there laid a black thorny underwear. ‘Fuck that’ Jerry waited a bit. Five, Ten, Twenty minutes seemed to pass by as he waited. But soon, he heard what he wanted to hear. He heard them slowly go into the shower. One, Two, Three all the way to Six before it stopped. Jerry stepped out of the room to be face to face with long purple hair and horn coming off of the side of her head. “You’re not changed, My Lord?” She asked with a devilish grin. “I was wondering if you guys had any different wear” Jerry asked. “Sadly, we don’t. But if you’d like, you can bring your own.” “Sure, you go on ahead” Jerry said. “I would prefer you go in with me” They both stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity. Jerry decided to make the first move and dash to the exit. He immediately started sprinting, running as fast as his legs could go. As he neared the exit, the commander tried to intervene Jerry. Jerry slid under one of their legs, attempting to run away from the purple haired commander. As he passed through and made it into the hallway, Jerry dashed to the left, down the hall. As he ran down, he could hear footsteps coming from behind him. It reminded Jerry of a raging bull and caused Jerry to run even faster. Soon, he was picked up by what seemed to be a hawk and was turned around. Jerry, no longer in control gave up and sighed. ‘This is how it ends, is it’ Jerry said. Jerry looked above him to find a yellow eyed, brown haired female. She had wings for hands and seemed a bit young with a flat chest and seemed to be laughing. “A for effort, F for effects” She said before looking up. Her voice sounded a bit cute in Jerry’s opinion but it didn’t sooth him of the fact that he might die today. As the hawk let Jerry down, he could hear her land behind him. “So, this is where I die?” Jerry asked. “God no! We just like messing around a lot” She said. “So, I’m not going to die?” “Well, some might hold a grudge against you, but not most. We liked the previous Demon Lord, don’t get me wrong. But he was a weirdo. Acted like we loved him or something” She said. Jerry soon noticed that her feet were no longer hawklike but instead human feet along with her arms. Before Jerry could ask a question, a voice broke from behind him. “My Lord! Where have you been? We lo- oh, Jepal. Did you tell him?” One of them asked. Jepal was silent for a bit before letting out what only could be assumed to be a whisper. “I can’t hear you Jepal, did you?” “Yes” She said. “Damn it Jepal. We wanted to mess with the new Demon Lord” Someone from the crowd of Demon Lords said. “Wait, what about my men?” Jerry asked. “Uhh, about that. They’re either dead or got away” Jepal said. “Oh” “But don’t worry! Theres some alive. They just. Left the area. Into the wild” Each time Jepal said something, the more she fell silent. “Don’t worry about it, Jepal. I’ll deal with it later” Jerry said. “Oh! But there is this one kid! His name is Falk I think. He’s in his room recovering. He’s badly injured so, bringing him here woulden’t be the smartest.” Jepal said. “That’s good. So, what do we do now?” Jerry asked. “It’s getting late. What about you take a bath alone and we’ll take you to your room later” One of the commanders said. She seemed to be an authority figure here. She had small breasts, wore cloth clothing and had a cute face but had the ‘I’m clearly better than you’ look on it. She was also very short and small. “Will do” Jerry said before walking down the hall. Jerry entered the bath that was easily recognizable from the wet floor outside the door. He got undressed, took a towel, and stepped into the bath. The water was nice and hot, but not scorching hot as the water rose and overfilled. The bath seemed to be a fairly futuristic for the technological level he’s seen so far in this world. The room itself had a gray floor, black walls, and crimson lining and bath. The bath however was very large, able to fit 20 to 30 people along the edges. Jerry felt fairly peaceful and zoned out until he heard a puddle splash. It was soon quiet after that, but Jerry couldn’t feel comfortable. Jerry got up from his bath and dried himself before wrapping the towel around his waist. He went back to the changing room to find that his clothing and gear were gone. ‘God fucking damn it. They’re still fucking with me’ Jerry quickly stepped out into the hall where Jepal waited. “Ah! My Lord, please cover yourself” She said before she changed her arms into wings and covered her eyes. “Fuck off, where’s my clothes” “Ah, they’re in the wash. In the meantime, we have prepared clothing for you to wear!” Jepal said before taking out a package. “Inside are your clothing provided. Please enjoy them!” Jepal said. Jerry took the package and went back inside. He ripped the package opened to find a black furish material lined with bright red. It felt very soft and comfortable and quickly put it on. It was in two pieces, shirt and pants and both of them were long sleeved. Jerry stepped out of the room to find the rest of the commanders waiting for him outside. Most of the commanders started to whisper amongst themselves before the authority figure spoke. “My Lord, now that you’ve dressed, please follow us to your room” She said. “Lead the way, ma’am” Jerry said. “Please, call me Juliet” She said. Juliet had a high pitched voice that fit her well with her physical traits but not with her role. “Well, lead the way, Juliet” Juliet took a bow before the rest of the commanders did as well. They then walked down the hall towards a slightly large door with extensive golden decorations to act as a door frame. They all entered to find a very large bed that was in a heart shape, red velvet blankets and pillows. “No” Jerry simply said. “Right? The old Demon Lord was a creep” A commander said. “At least he did something! This is the best work we’ve seen as a group and you know it!” Another one said. “Unfortunately My Lord, this is the only bed currently. I apologize.” Juliet said. “What about the room that Falk is sleeping in?” Jerry asked. “That’s the only guest room there is. Demon Lord expected a guest time to time but no one more” Jepal said. “Who was the guest?” “A creepy mage that tries to do magic on us to make us love the Demon Lord. Luckily, he’s too weak to do anything.” Juliet said. “For fuck sakes” Jerry whispered. “Alright, you guys take the left side of the bed and theres going to be a deadzone no one can move into” Jerry said. “Unfortunately My Lord, there isn’t enough room for that as well” “Right, I’m going to Falk. Jepal, lead me to Falk. Oh, Kasune come as well. I’d like you to heal him.” “As you wish” They both said. As Jerry exited the room, he could hear whispers between the other commanders. “Two guys in a bedroom?” “I’ve never heard of that!” “What do two men do in the bedroom? Ahh, it’s too exciting to think about!” Jerry seemed a bit disappointed at what they were thinking but shrugged it off. As they walked down the hall, Kasune spoke up. “M-My Lord, what do you intend to do in Falk’s room?” She asked. “Sleep. Why?” Jerry asked. “W-Well. When two people sleep together, that would mean that they’re close. Right?” She asked. “I don’t like where this is going so I’m gonna stop you there. Also, call me Jerry, remember?” “R-Right” Jerry looked at Kasune to find that it was bright red from her blushing. The trio walked down the hall and now stood outside Falk’s room. As they entered, Falk was on the bed with bandaging wrapped around his bare chest with rapid deep breaths. Jerry looked at Kasune before gesturing to Falk. “Jepal, you can go now” “Y-Yes!” Jepal said as she quickly left the room, closing the door. Kasune then placed her hands over Falk and her hands started to glow green. “Remember, not to where it’ll permanently damage you” Jerry said. “Got it” Kasune said. It seemed to be a bit before Kasune stopped. Falk’s breathing soon stabilized to soft, deep breaths rather than the large, audible breaths. “That’s the best I could do. I apologize.” Kasune said before bowing. “You did well. Now go with the other commanders and sleep for the night” Jerry said. “R-Right. Take care, My Lord” Kasune said before she left. As Kasune left, Jerry closed the door. Just then, Falk could be hear shuffling in his bed. “Sir, where are we?” Falk asked. “We’re in the Demon Lord’s castle. How you feeling?” Jerry asked. “Better” Jerry sighed before sitting on the bed Falk laid. “Mind telling me what happened?” Jerry asked. “We… We were placed in a forest. Maybe outside? I don’t know. They’d let us out in groups weaponless. Cage by cage, we’d be released into a forest and be hunted down. I was left for dead after an undead slashed me. I don’t remember what happened next, but I remember being picked up and brought here” Falk said. “Well, you’re safe now. I shot the bastard. The Demon Lord is dead.” “Then why are we here? Who was that? Who are you anymore?” “Okay, we’re here because I’ve inherited what the Demon Lord owned. That was Jepal and Kasune both being 10 Demon Commander members and I am still me. Just a bit more pissed at the Empire” Jerry said. Falk sighed. “So, what are you doing here?” “First, you answer my question. How do you feel? Don’t give me a one word answer. Tell me how you feel” Jerry asked. Falk then shuffled around his bed before facing Jerry again. “I can move just fine. Just hurts a bit when I move too much. Overall, I feel fine physically. Mentally though, I might have to take a few days.” Falk said. “I see” Jerry said as he close his eyes. “Now you answer my question, Sir. What are you doing in my room?” “Well, it was that or sleep alongside the 10 Demon Commanders and just to let you know, I just killed their leader. Some of them do want to kill me I believe while the others don’t care” Jerry said as he opened his eyes to face Falk. “I-I see. Tough spot isn’t it?” “Yep. I also just need to be away from them to talk to a fellow dude you know? Someone that won’t try to kill me and is human. I’ve had enough of Demons for today” Falk then laughed in a nervous manor. “Falk, what are you hiding?” Jerry asked as he faced Falk. “Sir… I’m a female” Jerry looked at Falk for 3 seconds before reacting. “Nope!” At that moment, Jerry sat up and left the room. ‘Nope, fuck that. I’ve had enough surprises today’ Jerry walked down the hall deep in though. Now that the secret had been revealed about Falk, he could see it happening. Falk had one of those faces that could be male and female. Jerry sighed before letting out a groan. ‘Fucking hell man. Why today?’ Jerry then heard a door with humming coming from it. Jerry stepped closer to that door and placed his ear on it. The sound of water and scrubbing could be heard as well. Jerry did two light knocks on the door before a response was heard. A feminine voice could be heard behind the door and the sound of water and scrubbing stopped. “Ah, Juliet. I’m almost done cleaning the Demon Lord’s clothing. Please wait a minute” Jerry opened the door slowly and sticked his head in slowly. Jerry made eye contact with what seemed to be a human with fair skin, and an average body. She was in shape with black hair that extended down to her shoulders and had medium sized breasts. She sat on a stool with her sleeves rolled up and was bent over a large wooden bucket filled with soapy water. “Hi. Those mine?” Jerry asked. The female sat there, not moving. Jerry now feeling awkward just staring at her shrunk his head behind the door, breaking eye contact. He waited a few seconds before sticking his head out again to find her still sitting there, still. “Hey, are those mine?” Jerry asked again. However, no response was giving to Jerry. Jerry fully opened the door and approached the female before crouching down next to her. Jerry cupped his hands and placed it next to the female’s ear before speaking very loudly. “HEY IS THAT MINE?” Jerry yelled. “Ah!” The female said before recoiling away from Jerry. “Hi” Jerry said. “H-Hello there” She said. “Is there something wrong?” “N-Nothing, Sir” She said before she felt her wrists and looked away from Jerry. “There is something wrong. Tell me.” “I-It’s that time when you grabbed me in your armor, it hurt a bit.” “Oh, Yea. I’m a new person. I’m also not the Demon Lord.” The female seemed to be at shock at that as she turned around to face Jerry. “Really!?” She asked. This suprised Jerry a little bit as he didn’t think it would produce this type of reaction. “Y-Yea” Jerry said. “Then, these aren’t yours?” She said as she raised Jerry’s fatigues. “No, those are mine” Jerry said. “Oh. What did you do with it? When I got it, it smelled like dirt, blood, and sweat” She said before she returned to washing it. “Uhh. Yea, a couple months without showers and fighting the Demon Lord does that to you” “Makes sense. Hey, where are you from?” “What do you mean?” “What Kingdom did you come from? Elves, Dark Elves, Empire, Imperial, which one?” “Empire” “Take me home when you can, will you?” “Sure, why not?” Jerry was having a little bit of fun talking with someone normally for the first time in a while. “Ah! It’s done. I just need to hang it up now” She said as she stood up and went to the clothes line. “So, what’s your name?” Jerry asked. “My name is Alice Grey. Yours?” “My name is Jerry” ‘Grey, where have I heard that last name before? Oh. Fuck.’ Jerry quickly looked down. “So uhh. Do you know Elizabeth Grey by any chance?” “Oh! That’s my sister’s name! How did you know?” “We uhh, know each other.” “Oh? She usually serves the Imperials I thought?” “Yea, all the nations just formed this party and are at the Empire right now. It’s like a hero party, you know?” “Hero party? Shouldn’t you be there?” “I’m not hero enough sadly” Alice giggled a bit before she finished hanging up Jerry’s fatigues. “Really? I’d imagine you would be loved by the people” “That’d be cool wouldn’t it?” “Indeed it would” Jerry sighed. “Well, it’s late. Shouldn’t you have your room?” “Yea, no” “What’s wrong?” “The bed is a giant heart and is designed to be packed with the original Demon Lord with the 10 Commanders” “Makes sense. Wanna come to my room?” Jerry was shocked by this request. He looked at her like she was a madman for a moment. “What?” “Well, you’re gonna sleep on the floor of course. I’m taking the bed” She said with a giggle. “Then that should be fine” “Right then, follow me”