A little while ago…
Yanagi Rena was the pride of the Yanagi House, a family of true nobility in Japan. Raised in an environment steeped in tradition and privilege, she had never known a day of want or inadequacy. Her upbringing was meticulously curated; she was given the finest education, groomed to be the best in every way. Excellence was not just expected of her—it was demanded. And Rena delivered.
She excelled in her studies, outshining her peers with ease. The only ones who ever came close to rivaling her were the Arima twins, two of her classmates who occasionally stirred a competitive fire in her otherwise serene confidence.
But all of that changed in an instant. Rena, along with the Arima twins and several others, found themselves transported to another world, thrust into an existence far removed from the life of privilege she had always known. The shock of this new reality was profound, but Rena’s resolve was stronger.
Thanks to her innate connection to powerful Yokai spirits, she adapted quickly, harnessing their strength to survive and even thrive in this unfamiliar world.
For a year, things went relatively well. Rena and her companions managed to carve out a place for themselves in this strange new world. They honed their abilities, grew stronger, and for a time, it seemed as though they could overcome any obstacle. But then they encountered a force beyond anything they had imagined—a man whose power eclipsed their own.
The Hero of Darkness, Samael.
Their confrontation with him was nothing short of disastrous. Rena and her comrades were utterly overwhelmed. Samael’s strength was terrifying, his presence suffocating. In the chaos of battle, she was captured, taken prisoner by the very man who had shattered their fragile sense of security.
Fear gnawed at Rena from the inside out, a fear she was unaccustomed to feeling. Yet, she refused to let it show. She steeled herself, determined to appear unyielding in the face of this new reality. But it quickly became clear that Samael was indifferent to her existence.
And then things took a darker turn.
She was forced to witness something she could never have prepared for—Samael, in the throes of passion with another woman, Semiramis, right in front of her. The act was so brazen, so raw, that it left her paralyzed, unable to tear her eyes away. Rena had never seen a man naked before, and now, Samael’s form was burned into her memory.
His body was like something out of a forbidden dream: pale, flawless, every muscle etched with precision, dark tattoos tracing across his skin in patterns that only heightened his aura of danger and allure.
And then there was his spear…
Rena’s breath caught in her throat as she watched Samael’s body move, the intensity of his actions searing into her mind. He plunged into Semiramis his spear with a fervor that made the woman cry out in ecstasy, and Rena felt her own body react in ways she could hardly comprehend. A strange heat began to pool in her core, a sensation unlike anything she had ever experienced.
It was as if her very skin was on fire, an itch deep within her that she couldn’t scratch.
Horror mixed with this unfamiliar arousal, leaving her in a state of confusion and denial. Was she really getting aroused by what she was hearing, by what she was seeing? The very thought was abhorrent, but there was no denying the truth of her body’s response. Her cheeks flushed, and she tried to steady her breathing, to will away the insistent ache that had settled in her most intimate places.
That night was endless. Sleep was an impossible luxury, with Samael and Semiramis lying just a few meters away, their naked bodies entwined in the aftermath of their passion.
And then there was Medea.
SHE watched over Samael and Semiramis like a vengeful spirit, her eyes locked onto them with a mix of obsession and fury. Occasionally, Medea’s gaze would flicker toward Rena, her eyes hollow and menacing, sending chills down Rena’s spine.
The next morning, Rena awoke with an unshakeable heaviness in her chest, her thoughts still muddled from the previous night’s turmoil. Desperate to clear her mind and escape the suffocating atmosphere of the cave, she requested to go outside for some fresh air.
To her surprise, Medea granted her wish, allowing her a brief respite from the oppressive darkness that seemed to cling to every corner of the cave. The cool morning air was a welcome relief, and for a moment, Rena felt a semblance of peace.
But that peace was fleeting.
Before long, she was summoned back into the cave. Her heart sank as she re-entered the dimly lit space, but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw next.
At the far end of the cave, encased in an oval-shaped block of ice, was a figure she recognized immediately. Her breath caught in her throat, and her eyes widened in disbelief. The familiar silhouette, the long, flowing black hair—there was no mistaking it.
“K-Kaguya-san?!”
The words slipped from her lips, trembling with shock. The sight of Kaguya, frozen and immobile, was something she couldn’t comprehend. This was the same woman she had known for over a year, a figure of immense strength and grace, now trapped and helpless.
Samael, however, seemed entirely unfazed by Rena’s distress. His cold gaze was fixed on Medea. “You’re here, Medea,” he said, his voice despite cold there was some softness when speaking to her. “Before I release her, I want you to shackle her movements. No need to restrain her for too long—an hour will be sufficient.” His gold eye gleamed with a dark, sinister intent, making Rena’s skin crawl.
“W-Wait, what is Kaguya doing here?!” Rena demanded, her voice rising with panic as she moved closer to the frozen figure.
Samael’s reply was chilling in its simplicity. “She attacked me, and I beat her.”
“You… you beat her?” Rena’s mind reeled at the revelation. Kaguya was not just powerful; she was like a goddess, a being of almost incomprehensible strength. The idea that Samael had defeated her was unthinkable.
“M-Monster…” she muttered, her eyes narrowing into a glare as she looked at him with a mixture of fear and loathing. If Kaguya had come to rescue her, what hope did she have now that even Kaguya had fallen? Her thoughts spiraled into despair. Kaguya was undoubtedly the strongest warrior of Kastoria, and if she had been bested, what chance did Rena have?
Done, Samael.” Medea’s words were accompanied by a sweet, almost playful smile as a red circle of magic flickered to life around the frozen Kaguya.
Samael extended his hand, and with a mere thought, the ice encasing Kaguya began to crack. The fissures spread rapidly before the icy prison exploded into shards, revealing Kaguya within, her body trembling, her breath ragged. The once proud and powerful warrior now stood with her face twisted in humiliation, her eyes burning with a mixture of anger and shame.
“You… you will pay for this with your life!” Kaguya’s voice was filled with fury.
“You already tried that, and look where it brought you,” I replied.
Kaguya attempted to stand, to gather her strength and retaliate, but she quickly realized that her powers were useless. The red cuffs around her wrists glowed ominously, sealing away her mana, rendering her completely powerless. Medea’s handiwork was flawless, as expected. The sorceress was a master of all forms of magic, capable of devising spells that could bind even the mightiest of foes.
“Kaguya-san… even you…” Rena’s voice was barely a whisper as she bit her lip, her heart breaking at the sight of her fallen comrade. The reality of their situation was beginning to sink in, the hopelessness of it all pressing down on her like a suffocating weight.
“Rena-san, you’re alive. What are you going to do to us?” she demanded, her cold glare directed at me.
I stared at her, my expression unreadable. “I wonder.”