HP: Sacred Gear Chat Group (2) - Chapter 3 (Patreon)

Chapter 3 - The Chat Group

— ? POVs —

“Ahh… this feels wonderful. Nothing compares to a warm shower after such an exhausting day.”

The beautiful crimson-haired noblewoman sighed contentedly as the water flowed over her tired buxom form. Her tense shoulders gradually relaxed, and for one precious moment, she allowed herself to enjoy the comforting warmth surrounding her.

For just a moment, she could forget the sword hanging over her head.

Throughout the rest of the day, the problem had refused to leave her thoughts. No matter how composed a smile she wore or how confidently she carried herself before the others, the truth remained unchanged.

She was running out of time.

Worse still, she was running out of options.

Her parents would not reconsider their decision. She had argued, reasoned, and pleaded with them, yet their answer remained the same. To them, family obligations and political convenience apparently mattered more than their daughter’s wishes.

And her elder brother—

Her expression darkened.

Because of his position, he could not involve himself directly. He was required to act as a neutral party, regardless of how the situation affected his own little sister.

How utterly absurd.

What was the point of being one of the most powerful men in their society if he could not help his sister when she needed him most?

They were Devils, for goodness’ sake—not some collection of painfully idealistic saints who worshipped impartiality above their own families.

Still, complaining about it would accomplish nothing.

No. She would have to deal with the matter herself.

She would find another solution, even if she had to drag that solution into existence with her own hands.

Unfortunately, that brought her thoughts back to a certain shameless young man.

“Do I truly have to depend on that perverted idiot?” she murmured, opening one eye.

The very idea made her sigh.

How was relying upon him supposed to be any better than the problem she was trying to escape?

Perhaps she could control him. She would be his superior, after all. With enough discipline, firm boundaries, and the occasional stern reminder of precisely who was in charge, she might be able to restrain his more troublesome impulses.

For several seconds, she considered the possibility.

Then she gave herself a dry, humorless smile.

Who was she trying to fool?

They were Devils. Desire was an inseparable part of their nature. Once he became one of them, those impulses would not diminish. If anything, they would become even more troublesome.

She could certainly use those desires to motivate him. A carefully chosen smile, a gentle word, or the faintest suggestion of a reward would probably be enough to send him charging into almost any danger on her behalf.

Manipulating him would be easy.

Perhaps far too easy.

But the price of doing so… at some point he would want his price.

Was her freedom truly worth involving him in such a way?

She closed her eyes again, allowing the water to run over her face.

Honestly, this was supposed to be a relaxing shower. Yet even here, her worries had followed her. At this rate, she would emerge feeling more exhausted than when she entered.

Then something appeared before her eyes.

She froze.

A strange message floated in the air directly in front of her, unaffected by either the water or the clouds of steam surrounding her. She blinked several times, wondering whether stress had finally begun to play tricks on her mind.

Slowly, she read the words.

A dumb grin appeared on her face.

“Squeeeeeee!”

From the other side of the room divider came a calm, monotone voice.

“Buchou, are you all right?”

The noblewoman continued staring at the impossible message, her carefully cultivated dignity nowhere to be found.

“Squeeeeeee!”

———

Deep within the cave, a tall woman sat swallowed by darkness. Heavy shackles made from some unknown material imprisoned her wrists, their weight pressing against her as though they intended to keep her there forever.

She wore white garments over red hakama trousers, with simple sandals resting against the cold stone floor. Her long white hair was fastened between two orange rods, forming a ponytail that faded first into aqua green, then into deep blue, ending in thick, rectangular locks. Two horns, mostly crimson in color, curved proudly from her head.

The darkness concealed her face.

Beside her rested a hannya mask, its fierce expression framed by an impossibly long mane of wild blue hair. It lay abandoned on the rock, waiting for her to wear it again.

Then, something shifted.

Her head snapped upward.

Her large orange eyes emerged from the shadows, burning with sudden curiosity as they fixed upon something floating in the air before her. She leaned forward as far as the chains allowed, studying it with open confusion.

“What is this?” she muttered.

———

At the very edge of the cliff stood a tall, voluptuous woman, her attention fixed upon something only she seemed capable of perceiving.

Her scarlet hair fell in thick, elaborate braids, each one adorned with decorative bows. A grand witch’s hat rested upon her head, its wide brim lined with soft fur. Her attire was daringly revealing, crafted with all the extravagance of a sorceress who had long since ceased caring for the judgment of lesser beings.

Not that anyone would have been foolish enough to comment upon it.

At least, not if they wished to continue breathing.

Her face possessed an almost otherworldly beauty, accentuated by immaculate cosmetics and deep red lipstick. Yet any elegance in her expression had been eclipsed by cold, unmistakable fury. Her lips had tightened, and the air surrounding her seemed to grow heavier with every passing moment.

The two attendants assigned to her squad remained well behind her. Neither dared to approach. They had served their lady long enough to recognize when distance was not merely respectful, but necessary for survival.

Her eyes moved slowly across a string of words suspended before her—words invisible to everyone else.

“Who,” she began, her voice soft enough to be mistaken for calm, “would dare amuse themselves with such a pathetic jest?”

The final word left her lips like poison.

Her gaze narrowed as she continued reading, and a faint, merciless smile curved across her painted mouth.

“Very well. Let us see whether you are truly capable of fulfilling these promises.”

She tilted her head ever so slightly, her expression becoming almost pleasant.

“Should you disappoint me, however…”

The earth beneath her feet gave a subtle tremor.

“…I shall personally teach you the true meaning of suffering.”

———

Hungry.

She was so hungry.

Pressing a hand against her empty stomach. It just hurt. Her legs felt heavy, and even breathing took more effort than it should have.

Strength had not helped her.

Her sword had not helped her.

She could cut down monsters and men, but she could not cut hunger. She could not fight an empty wasteland.

Worse, her strength had done nothing when people cheated her. They showed her papers covered in marks, spoke quickly, and took her money before she understood what had happened.

It was because she could not read.

She could not write. She could not count well enough to know when someone was lying to her. And she hated that.

If she survived, she would learn. She would train until the letters made sense, just as she had trained with the sword. She did not need to become a scholar. She only needed enough knowledge to stop fools from stealing from her.

But first, she had to survive.

She looked across the wasteland again.

No animals, no tracks, no water, there was nothing she could hunt.

Her ears twitched, searching for movement, but only the wind answered. Her nose found dust and dry stone. There was no scent of prey anywhere nearby.

At this rate, she would die. That was not fear. It was simply the truth.

Unless something unexpected happened, her body would weaken until she could no longer stand. Then she would lie down and never rise again.

A faint glow suddenly appeared before her eyes.

Her hand moved instinctively to her sword.

Magic?

She stared at the light and tilted her head.

But her Magic Eye doesn't show her any Magic Power?

There were symbols inside it. Letters. Words. She knew that much.

But she could not read them. And yet, somehow, their meaning entered her mind.

A frown formed on her face. She was not reading. She knew she was not reading. The marks still looked like meaningless scratches.

Yet she understood them. That made no sense to her.

She studied the glowing message for several moments. Understanding the words did not help. She still had no idea what they wanted from her or what she was supposed to do with them.

Her grip tightened around the hilt of her sword.

Maybe it was dangerous. One thing is sure, it pisses her off. Was it an enemy attack?

There was one simple way to find out.

She drew her blade.

“Can I cut it?”

———

— Alistair Davis POV —

[ Queen of Dragons: Come out, you insolent little jester. Where have you scurried off to now? You were awfully bold when making those promises. Tell me, are you truly prepared to suffer the consequences of daring to toy with me? ]

Oh, no...

What did I do?

I thought...

This is definitely not Daenerys Targaryen, which means...

And why did the Chat Group somehow have to piss her off, of all people?

I really don’t want someone like her pissed off at me. She’s fucking scary.

[ ‘Kozuki Oden’: Oh, this thing made you a promise too? What did it offer? Did it promise you an adventure too? ]

The Chat Group made promises?

Just great. They’re going to see it as me having made those promises since I’m supposedly the Admin.

They got clickbaited.

My own Sacred Gear is trying to get me killed.

Will they be able to see that I’m the Admin?

Well, I’m an entire world away, so I should be safe for now.

Better come clean before things spiral out of control.

[ Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess: Fufufufufu, it’s real! The Multiverse is real! This is so amazing! @‘Kozuki Oden’ You’re Yamato! Are you still imprisoned in Wano? Has Luffy already gone out to sea? Can you use Haki? Can you teach me? @Queen of Dragons And you’re Irene Belserion! What year is it for you? Are you already part of the Alvarez Empire? Are you planning to invade Fiore? I’m a big fan of both of you! ]

And there’s Rias Gremory. Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess was a dead giveaway.

Oh, right.

I forgot that she was a massive Japanophile, which naturally made her a huge manga and anime fan. Still, I didn’t expect her to recognize both of them.

Wasn’t this world filled with cheap copies of manga and anime that only vaguely resembled the franchises I’m familiar with? Like Drag-so Ball being the equivalent of Dragon Ball?

No, wait.

That was only in the anime and manga!

The light novel actually used Dragon Ball.

[ Queen of Dragons: You seem to know an awful lot about me. Are you the one responsible for this so-called Chat Group? Where are you? And what kind of Magic is this? ]

[ ‘Kozuki Oden’: You know about me too! But you got my name wrong. I’m Kozuki Oden! And one day, I’m going on a grand adventure to see the world! And Magic? Do you mean a Devil Fruit? Are they considered Magic where you live? ]

[ Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess: I didn’t create this Chat Group. I was invited too, with a promise just like you two. There should be someone else here. @‘Kozuki Oden’ We both know that isn’t your real name. Oh, and all of us are from different Universes. That’s what the Multiverse part means. She has Magic in her World, while you have Devil Fruits and Haki. ]

[ Queen of Dragons: Hmm, different Worlds? I have indeed never heard of Devil Fruits or Haki. Then, if you are not the one who initiated this, somebody else should be in this so-called Chat Group. Come out and stop hiding. You made some bold promises, so now stand by them. ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): Oh, I fully intend to stand by whatever was promised. But I didn’t make any promises to any of you. ]

[ Queen of Dragons: So you have a death wish? ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): Nope. I’m just telling you that whatever promise convinced you to accept the Chat Group invitation didn’t come from me. It came from the Chat Group itself. I only activated it, and it chose to invite all of you on its own. ]

[ Queen of Dragons: I don’t believe you. Prepare yourself for my wrath. Where are you? ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): Like we already established, I’m in a different Universe. Sorry. ]

[ Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess: Hmm, Hogwarts... Why does that sound familiar? I’ve definitely heard of it somewhere before. What anime or franchise is it from? I just can’t place it. ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): No idea. I’m familiar with Irene Belserion from Fairy Tail and Yamato from One Piece, but I have no idea where you’re from either. And how am I supposed to know what the fictional work I appear in is called? For all I know, it could just be some fanfiction. ]

Yep.

Lying is definitely the better choice here.

I don’t want to give away my knowledge advantage, especially when every single one of them is so much stronger than me.

[ Queen of Dragons: You want to tell me that wherever you are from, I am a fictional character in a so-called anime? Is it like a story? ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): Pretty much. I read the manga, which is a story told through pictures. From that, moving pictures with sound are made, and those are called anime. It’s basically like a movie, although I’m not sure if you have those. ]

[ Queen of Dragons: I understand the concept. It sounds somewhat similar to a play. Am I correct in assuming that it shows my future, since @Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess alluded to future events in my World earlier? ]

[ Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess: Yes, it does. ]

[ Queen of Dragons: Will I ever find a way to regain my Human Body? ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): Is that what the Group promised you? I’m sorry to tell you this, but unfortunately, no. In the future I know, you choose to die because you simply can’t bring yourself to harm your Daughter. ]

[ Queen of Dragons: I see... Then is it true? Can you help me regain my Human Body? ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): Right now? Sorry, but no. I barely know any Magic myself. I’m something of a late bloomer among my people, so I have a lot of catching up to do. But now that I know the Multiverse is real, I have a few ideas depending on how the Travel function of this Chat Group works. Although the methods I know are guaranteed to work are extremely dangerous to obtain and involve powers far beyond even your current strength. Unless Miss Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess is secretly some ridiculously powerful expert, I don’t see an easy way to turn you human again. But your main problem is that you want to feel comfortable in your Body again, right? Being able to eat, sleep, and do all the other things you used to? ]

[ Queen of Dragons: That is correct. If you find a way, I am willing to follow and serve you until the end of my life. ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): I’ll do my best. ]

[ Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess: If you’re only just starting out as a Student and barely know any Magic, how did you get your hands on something like this Chat Group? ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): Well, I was believed to be a Squib. That’s what we call someone born to two Magical Parents without any Magic of their own. I spent my whole life dreaming of being able to use Magic like the rest of my Family. Turns out I’m an extremely rare late bloomer with a unique gift for a special form of Magic. I only learned about it today, and when I tried using Magic without a Wand, I awakened something called a Sacred Gear, which took the form of this Chat Group. ]

[ Queen of Dragons: Wands? So you are a Holder-Type Mage? ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): No, our system of Magic is quite different from yours. We can technically use Magic without Wands, but doing so requires a great deal of talent and practice. The majority of my People use Wands to control and shape our Magic. ]

[ Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess: Hold on a moment. Did you just say Sacred Gear? ]

Hook, line, and sinker!

Here comes my super-rich and sexy noble Devil girl connection to the Supernatural World.

I’m not too proud to admit that I intentionally baited her into noticing that particular detail so I could get her help in this World.

And really, what straight and sane guy wouldn’t?

Once you earn her friendship or even her love, you’re practically set for life. I’m living in a World with Dragon Gods capable of causing an apocalypse, so I’ll take every advantage I can get.

That’s simply the smart thing to do.

Hopefully, she hasn’t recruited that scumbag Issei yet.

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): Yes, I did. ]

[ Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess: Now I know why the word Hogwarts sounded so familiar! We’re in the same World. You’re a Wizard, aren’t you? ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): As of today, I’m officially considered a Wizard. Are we really in the same World? Where are you? And what exactly is a Sacred Gear? I’ve never heard of them before. ]

[ Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess: Right, Wizardkind is a rather insular faction that has isolated itself from the rest of the Supernatural World. After your People caused World War II among the Humans, the other factions decided it would be better to leave you alone. As for me, I’m currently studying in Japan. I assume you’re in Britain since you attend Hogwarts. ]

We’re seriously considered responsible for World War II?

Fucking Grindelwald.

Such a relatively weak faction, yet we somehow caused that much destruction.

Was that lunatic trying to get all of Wizardkind killed?

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): Yes, I’m British. I live in London. I can understand why Wizardkind is so isolated, though. Many of the old Pureblood Families hold most of the political power, wealth and are incredibly bigoted. But you still haven’t told me what a Sacred Gear actually is. ]

[-- End of Chapter --]