"Ouch...I don't...feel so good..."

"Francis, you're awake!"

As I slowly open my eyes to see Suzuki's worried look hovering above my face, my eyes scanning the ceiling above me. I lift my head a bit to see myself wearing the same black T-shirt and blue jeans I wore at the police station. Seriously, am I having déjà vu or what...

Then, my eyes widen once I remember who made me unconscious in the first place. I get up in a split second, my eyes scan from left to right until I see all three of us being in Suzuki's room, where one of her bookshelves is filled with isekai light novels she has mentioned before.

Actually, make that four as the bratty, blue-horned demon, who has been knocked out, is lying down next to my left side. But first things first, and that's my duty to confront Demon Princess, who's in a purple sweater and gray baggy pants, about her inability to inform others...

"Hey, woman. If you keep on using those darts on me, I'll die an early death…"

"It can't be helped, Plank," the Demon Princess replies, her voice being monotonous as ever. "I was forced to use the tranquilizer darts on D.D. and you were in the way."

"Can't be helped? Ha! I could've avoided being attacked if you had told me you were wearing a bikini all this time! Why didn't you?!"

"Wait…," Suzuki speaks up. "Francis, did you just say bikini…"

"You didn't ask, Plank."

I'm glad I'm having an argument with Demon Princess right now for I'm able to act like I'm ignoring Suzuki's Bikini Question.

"Right...but that's not our priority now...Woman, enough keeping secrets and tell us who the heck this demon kid is!! And don't say he's your son because that's not gonna soften me u!."

"Calm down, Plank. I did expect D.D. to cross over the portal. I just didn't expect him being able to find us so soon. To think he's able to navigate in this world all on his own…"

"Hey, woman. Now is not the time to compliment him in finding us. Just tell us who's able to come into this world. Come to think of it, how did Siofon…Wait! That means the other Demon Generals…"

"Spectres and Souls, given enough Aura Consumption needed, are the only beings able to come here without going through a physical portal, Plank. The others won't come here unless they've made a portal like mine at my uncle's castle."

"So the only plausible explanation for this bratty kid being here is because of your portal, right?"

"Wait, Nelly!", Suzuki speaks up all of a sudden despite herself looking confused that she didn't want to join this conversation until now. "Then there's a chance that one of them…"

"No need to panic, Sensei. Auto guards it well enough. I guess he had no choice, but to let D.D. go through the portal without typing answers for his firewall."

Huh? Typing answers...Auto? The one with the mechanical voice?! The one who forced me to type every possible answer for half a day?!

"Anyways, I thought D.D. was busy Upgrading himself at Grayshore Forest."

"And yet, he's here, woman. Let's hope he's a well-behaved kid who listens to any adult he meets."

"As if you're a decent adult, perverted bastard."

I almost lose my balance due to myself being shocked by that bratty demon sneaking up behind my back. I could've sworn he should be knocked out longer given that there were two darts shot on him.

"Uhm, D.D., is it?", Suzuki steps in, preventing another 'calamity' from happening inside her house. "I know Francis may be the rudest & most arrogant man you've ever met, but I assure you there's nothing to be on your guard against him."

Rudest & most arrogant… I can't tell whether that's a criticism because she politely refers to me with those words.

"Listen. Nell and I are going back to our world. I believe we don't need to say our goodbyes since I don't trust you. And especially you, Perverted Hero."

"Hey, kid. Let's not jump to conclusions. First of all, it was this stupid woman who thinks she can just put on those stupid-looking glasses…"

"What exactly is D.D. mad at you for, Francis? Sorry, I'm getting lost in keeping up with this conversation."

"Oh...uh...that's…"

As if I can tell you directly that we were in the same bathtub!

"Right," bratty D.D. replies. He gets up, dusting his military-like uniform as if I had spread germs on him. "Let's go back, Nell. These humans aren't worth your time…"

"I'm not going back, D.D."

"Huh?"

The atmosphere in this room has suddenly become silent with a heavy feeling of shock and confusion coming from the bratty demon. Based on the agonising look he's making at the moment, my eyes meet with her purple eyes. Of course, via my eyes, I hint to her that she shouldn't have said that to him. His bad temper & blind hatred towards me aren't of any help to avoid this worst-case scenario we're about to face.

"Nell, did this perverted bastard threaten you with something? What kind of Curse Magic did he put on…"

"D.D., all of this happened because of my decision, out of free will, to leave Branshire from the very beginning. I understand that you're upset with me, but like it or not, I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying with Plank & Suzuki until my last breath."

"You...the Nell I know would never do this...what the heck happened to you for the past ten years?! No...I don't care. We're going back even if it means I've to carry you by force."

Hearing the words "fifty years" has made my subconscious mind to remember that he's way older than me. To think I was brave enough to say rude things about him, but that's not important now.

That Purple Lady...does she have a plan to calm him down? If there isn't, we've to use those tranquilizer darts again…

"Alright, D.D.," Purple Lady replies after breathing a light sigh. "That challenge you made from that time will be used. Right here. Right now."

"Nelly, what kind of challenge?" Suzuki asks, her eyes glance a few times between Purple Lady and D.D.

"D.D. once told me: If he manages to land a bruise or scratch on me, I'll grant his wish. If not, he'll grant mine."

"Sounds simple...wait, wait. How many times did you do this challenge, Nelly?"

"Tonight will be the hundredth time."

Hundredth...that Explosion Magic I had experienced just now...this brat is still unable to take her down?

"Fine," D.D. agrees. "Well then! Let's have that challenge, Nell! If I manage to get you to bleed, we're going back to our world! No breaking promises, okay?!"

"You've my word, D.D.," Purple Lady replies, standing up right away. Looking on with a straight face, she calls Willow out of nowhere. The little ghost gives off cheery sounds regardless of the heavy atmosphere the four of us are in.

"Hey," I interrupt. "Why is Willow here?"

"Willow, I'm gonna need a vast, empty field that has a lot of Lichtenberg figures. I trust you know where to take us."

The little ghost gives a cute salute with her right arm. Before we can ask why she mentions the Lichten-whatever marks, a bright white light engulfs everyone in this room. As me and Suzuki close our eyes with one of our arms automatically covering our closed eyes, I've just remembered that Willow was in her paper form during her previous teleportation on me.

A few moments later, the bright light fades away. As we lay down our one arm and open our eyes, we see ourselves standing on an empty land. To be accurate, I look down to see layers of salt beneath our feet. I look up to see no sign of humans passing by. The only visible stuff are big mountains being quite far away from our sight. Did I mention the sun is shining above us?

"Where...are we?", Suzuki asks, her head turning around a few times. Her worried look indicates that we might be in another world.

"Rest assured, Sensei," Demon Princess replies. "We're in another country that's far away from Japan."

"Woah, woah!" I exclaim, anxiousness resonates in my voice. "Another country? How long are we gonna be here?"

"That's none of your concern, Perverted Bastard," D.D. exclaims. The three of us see him standing several metres away. "One thing's for sure is that the challenge will end in five minutes. Nell, don't you dare think I'm the same kid I was back then."

"Noted, D.D.," Demon Princess agrees. Closing her eyes, she swings her arms in full circle forward as a warm-up. Exhaling her deep breath through her mouth, her purple eyes open that somehow feels like she's gonna be in the most serious mode we'll ever see of her.