Unfortunately, I’m Not A Hero: 106

Unfortunately, I’m Not A Hero: 106

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Commissioned by Shaderic

Wordcount: 2500

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I’ve always been fond of having advantages and leveraging them as much as I possibly could.

However, I was sure that I was doing a third-rate job compared to someone who knew what they were doing.

I made up for that disadvantage by being incredibly aggressive.

In terms of economics and territory improvement, I was pretty much staying afloat because of money. Even with all my ideas, if I wasn’t willing to go into debt to pursue every single idea I could scrounge together from my previous world. If someone smarter than me took my place, they could make better choices with Ylstu with far less risk, and get just the right amount of debt to ensure that they’d get supported.

Some would say that I was having a case of imposter syndrome, that I didn’t believe in myself and my own abilities, but… ask anyone who remotely knows me and they’ll tell you that’s not the case because without counterbalances, failures, and the constant management required of all the projects I had in motion… I’d have the most massive ego.

If you sat me down next to you and told me to talk about myself, I’d be able to talk incessantly about myself without any guilt, because I’ve gone through a lot of absolutely shitty situations and survived.

If I didn’t have to manage all the projects that I had in motion, fix up every mistake I made by banging my head against a brick wall of lacking knowledge, and read through hundreds of reports to make sure everything was going right, I would be more insufferable than I already was.

So, allow me to repeat myself again: most of my advantages in this world only worked when I supported my actions with as much ruthlessness as I could possibly muster. If I didn’t back up my expansion plans and advances in Ylstu with draconian laws, a strong police force, sheer tenacity, and stupid amounts of money, then most of them would’ve failed because I really didn’t have the talent, knowledge, and skill to do them right.

Most of my ideas are just things that I make happen through corrections, resources, and unwavering conviction.

Now… how does this apply to the current situation, where I was going to fly over to an Apophis’s territory, while destroying everything in my way to make a statement?

Did I mean to imply that I’d bitten off more than I chewed and that their aerial navies were actually capable of endangering my very strong, great, and amazing flying ship-of-the-line, the S.S. I Win (Name Pending)?

Absolutely not.

I meant that, even as my advantages proved themselves effective, I still needed to be utterly ruthless in my implementation of my advantages.

Even though my ship sailed through an armada without taking a single hit and sinking everything in its way, I knew that I had to be as thorough as I possibly could in leveraging my strengths.

However, I won’t lie.

It felt good to be ruthless to win more, instead of being ruthless just to win in the first place.

…

My ship soared through the sky as the last of an Apophis’s fleet crashed onto the desert below.

The ship, built by the Empire to fight against Kindred of the sea, was a powerful beast. It was designed to try and out-speed creatures born and bred on water. Its cannons were meant to demolish hordes of Kindred out to kill its cargo. The hull and deck were both incredibly tough and resilient, not only to withstand the primal magics of those who lived in the oceans, but so that the crew can fight upon the decks without worrying about their ships breaking. That was before A’Bel empowered it with her demonic influence, reinforcing its hull, granting it greater speed upon the ocean, and giving its weaponry a demonic overhaul.

The Pharaoh’s flying ships were respectable in their expected roles and strategies. They were swift, agile craft capable of transporting armies quickly and taking on their own with their weapons. The ballistae on the ships focused on having fast projectiles that allowed the manner of the turret to accurately strike the enemy even at breakneck speeds in dogfight conditions. For their intended purpose, with skilled operators, the weapons of the ships would easily tear through the defenses of their fellow ships.

However, my ship-of-the-line utterly demolished the Pharaoh’s doctrines regarding aerial warfare and destroyed their air force as consequence.

My ship was slower and ungainly compared to their own, but my weapons were meant to hit swarms of hardier targets from a further distance, and shrug aside far more powerful attacks than they could muster.

The Apophis’s fleets charged me like valiant knights high in the air with the intent to swarm me and pepper me with attacks.

I introduced that charging mass to broadsides of magic.

A’Bel’s improvements to the weapons, according to her, were simple adjustments to their efficiency. They fired stronger projectiles, required less time between shots, and that they would be more accurate. The latter two were things that I easily understood, because they were just means to increased damage-per-second. More hits and more of those hits hitting meant a more efficient killing machine.

However, I didn’t understand what she meant by “stronger” projectile when it came to magic. The magical bolts of the Empire weren’t something I was very familiar with. Slave armies didn’t get to have dedicated, expensive artillery support when they’re supposed to die, after all. However, I read about them according to Kindred records, and I found that the Empire’s regular troops used them to take down Kindred after bogging them down with heavy infantry. The bolts they shot exploded and washed over the armor of the Empire infantry without doing them any harm, while the attacks burned the Kindred.

The ballistae were effectively large staffs dedicated to creating a single spell and they were usually charged by Mages far from the front lines or deployed elsewhere. It was an efficient way of making sure that power gained everyday wasn’t wasted amongst the lobotomized mages of the Empire and their minders. Heck, with enough “unusable” parts of Kindred, the Empire could take the magic from that and literally use Kindred ammunition against the Kindred.

There was a reason why I wasn’t that miffed about the weapons being corrupted by A’Bel.

Anyway, I expected them to have the effect that I read about. Flaming, long-ranged projectiles that exploded and showered enemies with “holy” flame sounded like a good weapon against a Kindred navy flying in wicker ships.

And, I was correct about my assumption the fact that the wicker ships would get set aflame and crash.

The effects on the Kindred of the desert, however, weren’t what I expected.

I looked down into the desert with my telescope, sighed, and pinched the bridge of my nose, before turning my gaze towards the Demon powering the ship.

“A’Bel… why are they all just down there… having a damn orgy?” This was a common theme with A’Bel. I wanted fire, brimstone, and destruction and received lewdness, skintight outfits, and major “ara-ara” vibes. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure why I was asking instead of just retreating into my office and letting myself wallow in self pity at the lack of inferno. “Why is the army I’m supposed to crush just fucking in the sands while their ships and equipment burn around them?”

I can clearly see that materials and assets were being lost in the fleet, but my terror-inducing charge through three territories through my target wasn’t inciting my fear in the hearts of the militaries. Instead, my powerful, definitive, and about-to-be-legendary raid through the lands of the Pharaohs was inciting depravity, lewdness, and a very large tangle of sweaty bodies in amidst flaming wreckages that were starting to look like a bonfire festival.

At my glare, the perpetrator gave a cheerful hum.

“My dear contractor, Demonic weapons are quite powerful strong, but they are inherently meant to corrupt and bring low mortals into our awaiting grasp. I would be a poor Demon indeed, if I killed potential followers and worshippers.” A’Bel lied as naturally as she breathed. Just a few days ago, I saw her wade into a damn inferno, take on an Apophis in a mind-boggling battle of strength and magic, and then come out covered in blood and the only thing alive in the battlefield she’d walked into. I knew that she was more than capable of turning what I was looking at into an screaming inferno, but she hadn’t. My contracted Demon was most definitely going against my orders. “Please, my dear contractor, I am simply doing more than what is expected of me. Any Pharaoh can crush another Pharaoh’s army and fleet when their equal is not present, but none of their number can utterly shame their army and destroy their fleet.”

A’Bel’s words were making sense and I wasn’t liking it. One. Damn. Bit.

My bikini-clad Demon giggled and I barely managed to avoid being caught between two mountains by taking a step to the side.

I glared at A’Bel and she pouted.

“My dear contractor, I know that you are willing to great lengths to accomplish your goals, but your stalwart will was unnecessary today. The efficacy of this course is greater than the one you suggested.” A’Bel sighed as she switched to her more formal manner of speaking. The Demon knew when to play around and when not to. I was usually willing to let her play around, but not when things weren’t going as I wished, such as when people were being forced to do something that they didn’t want. “Ah, I see. You believe that I am forcing them to copulate and fall into throes of lust… but that is not the case, my dear summoner. I have merely unshackled them of their inhibitions and unleashed the lust they would’ve expressed upon you, if they were caught by you.”

Knowing what I was seeing would’ve been something I’d have to deal with mollified me a little, but I waited for A’Bel to explain herself some more and the Demon did.

“Also, I believe this to be a better course of action. Although I can most certainly fill the skies with fire and death… this is more suitable for you, my dear summoner. I wish to see you well and subjecting you to more than one hellscape of fire and fury would make you brittle, instead of temper you.” A little bit of the conflict-lusted Demon bled through A’Bel’s intentions, and I calmed a little at that. She still wholeheartedly approved of what I did to the last Apophis’s fleet with the fireships, but she was controlling herself. Her eyes were hungry for more bloodshed and harm, but she chained it up and kept it under control. “Yes. I have had my fill. I saw your willingness to empower me and grant me the souls of your foes, and I know you wish for me to have more… but I don’t need it and so I shall spare you the cost, Hikigaya Hachiman.”

A’Bel knelt and offered me a smile while bowing her head. There were very few people on the deck, since it was a possible that we’d get boarded, so only a few eyes set themselves upon us. But most of those gazes looked past us or slipped away, as I felt magic that interfered with the senses fill our vicinity.

“So, this isn’t just a power play to satisfy your fetish at being disciplined.”

“There is a difference between being cheeky and asking for punishment, and being a terrible Demon.” A’Bel’s answer was coy, but she remained demure and composed as she knelt before me and waited for my response to her decisions. With a word, I could banish her away to where she came, and burn all the information there was on summoning her. “I plead with you, my dear summoner, please understand the intent behind my actions. I would have you grow strong, glorious, and mighty achieve your aims and destroy your enemies. It is my greatest pleasure to stay by your side and witness it all, while obeying you to the best of my ability.”

I turned away with her and looked back down at the sprawling masses below.

It reminded me of what the Kindred did on the battlefield to men they wanted and the women they wished to turn into more of themselves.

“They’re not being changed physically or mentally? They’ve just lost their ability to think without sex taking priority?” The question tasted bitter to my tongue, but I couldn’t deny that the sight was marginally better than seeing the roiling flames, smoke, and wreckages filled with corpses that preluded A’Bel’s prior battle. The air was faintly sweet and smelled of lust, instead of burning flesh and acrid smoke. “This won’t change any of them permanently, or make them your puppets?”

“They will recall this moment and be ashamed of it, but they will keep their lives instead of perishing in a grand conflagration of pain and suffering.” A’Bel answered my questions with the same willing smile she’d had she knelt. Whether I decided to keep her or banish her, I was sure that she’d feel content. Somehow, that didn’t piss me off, but instead just made me confident in my decision to ask, listen, and think. “Their memories will remain, but physically and mentally, they will remain themselves and decide their fates on their own.”

The words felt true, but I wasn’t the type to leave things to chance and gave the signal to the Kunoichi beside me.

She rose up from my shadow with a knife made anathema to Kindred and Demons by Reiser’s efforts held in a gauntleted hand.

“Get a wyvern and fetch a few of those below for captives. We’re going to check on them. Kurama will check whether or not A’Bel is telling the truth.” I was going to verify A’Bel’s words through people I had no reason to mistrust. When the Kunoichi disappeared, I turned back and looked down at A’Bel. “If you’re lying, I will make sure that you never return to the mortal world again. I will find every scrap of information on summoning anything like you in this world and make sure they all burn, so you’ll stay sealed in Hell forever.”

My ultimatum hung in the air for just a second, before A’Bel raised her head with a proud, satisfied smile on her face as she looked up at me.

“And, if I’m not lying, my dear summoner?”

I glared at the Demon and scowled at her, before stalking towards the door that would lead to my room with my last words on the matter hanging in the air.

“Then, you get nothing, because I paid you plenty enough and you get free board and care as my Demon.” I did my best to ignore the torrent of satisfaction, need, and pride that threatened to swallow me from A’Bel’s direction. I somehow managed to succeed, even as some reactions I didn’t want to happen happened against my will. “Now, leave me alone!”

A’Bel flew off happily at my command, while I stalked to my room and did my best to repress the raging hormones, instincts, and emotions inside me for later.

I had an operation to conduct.

I’ll handle dealing with A’Bel later.