Chapter 91 - [Bonus ] Punishment On Ness

Joren didn't know how to react to this one yet. He glanced at Virena who have dead-pan eyes and found that Ness have yet to make the 'move' he was expecting.

He was a little disappointed.

However, this just proves that she's still inwardly a child. This feeling was further fortified by seeing her form of a child. After some thought, he figured out the appropriate reaction to this.

Everyone was just waiting for Joren to speak up and say something to Ness. They believe he would stop this farce just like how the situation regarding Monstein was immediately solved after he arrived.

Of course, that was an exaggeration. Monstein had created too much destruction to be left off just like that. However, their attention temporarily shifted at the thought of Ness learning that Joren is alive.

For this sake, Virena chose to let Monstine scot-free first.

At that moment, Joren has finally taken a move from the gate and entered the "Principal's area"

They all watched, on standby, as Joren went in and kicked the altar, immediately breaking it into countless fragments.

No one expected this scene as this was the complete opposite of it. Everyone was stunned, especially Ness herself. But all she knew was that some came in to destroy the momento she built for Joren.

It was dumbfoundedness at first before it was puzzlement why someone would do that. As expected of the innocent Ness, instead of being angry, she was hurt.

She looked at who kicked the altar down in one go and the confusion just piles up.

"... Joren?"

Meanwhile, Joren just stood there and looked at her while she processed what she was seeing. Thinking she was just hallucinating, she scrubbed her eyes and looked again.

She did it again the second time.

Then a third time…

"Oh, I should get some rest, I'm hallucinating that Joren is alive and destroyed the altar I made for him…"

Facepalms could virtually be heard.

"But wait… what if I'm not hallucinating!"

Ness turned back and with wide-eyes looked back at Joren. She gasped-... before yawning.

"Nah, definitely hallucination."

"Goddamn it! Joren's alive and that's not a hallucination!"

Jack was getting impatient and shouted. After that shout, other looked at him with judging eyes.

"What? Someone have to do it!"

Meanwhile, Ness finally believed what she was seeing.

"Joren?" her eyes sparkled and even teary, "Joren!"

Ness ran up to Joren with a big smile and arms spread. She's like a puppy who finally got to see her owner after some time again.

But before she could hug Joren, he held her off with his new strength.

"I'm not in the mood."

Joren said, hinting that he's angry at something while he holds her shoulder. Ness' arms are shorter than him in that form.

At the same time, Joren began sliding backward on his feet.

'She's not listening!'

"Joren!" Ness just cried out while trying to hug him while he stops her.

Virena saw the situation, "What is he doing denying her happy reunion!?"

Joren, out of people, should be grateful for Ness and even oddly happy since she misses him this much. Not only is he thick-skinned, for him to be so ungrateful, she wouldn't allow this!

But when she was about to move, her wrist was grabbed, completely stopping her.

This grip was like iron chains wrapped around her wrist. Virena looked to the side and saw the 'stranger' who's wearing similar clothing to her, look at her with cold eyes.

"Do not interfere."

Kidrith has lost most of her strength against Hades and it would take more than weeks for her to recover but against Virena, with effort, she can overwhelm a vampire.

Back to Joren, it's not that his strength is lacking but Ness' power was just too much. Furthermore, he couldn't possibly hurt her so he didn't use more strength.

"Ness, I'm angry at you right now, I won't hug you!"

When he released those words, Ness' temperament immediately changed. More power surged from her petite stature as the aura she exudes made others see her as a monster.

She easily took Joren's arms from her shoulders and dove towards him. Winning and hugging at the same time.

Joren could only drop since it's not really a physical fight and didn't want to 'counterattack' Meanwhile, Ness buried herself on him while crying.

"It's really you, you came back!"

Joren sighed. It seemed that she really missed him.

'Now, I feel like an idiot… but no, going with whatever she feels like will only spoil her. Since she proved herself to be a child then I will treat her as one.'

"Ness, release me."

But it was as if Ness didn't hear him.

"I'm angry, we have to talk."

Again, she didn't listen.

"If you don't listen to me, I'm going to hate you." Joren solemnly said.

This is a threat that would only work on children but when Ness heard this, she lost her grip on his and look up.

"W-why?" with puppy eyes, she asked.

However, Joren strengthened himself and didn't want to be swayed.

"Sit properly and I'll tell you."

After some hesitation, Ness released Joren while the latter conveniently found a rock to sit on, making his position higher than her.

Due to Ness' push, the two of them were farther away than the rest who was watching from the side, not wanting to enter the scene. They couldn't hear what they were saying but it seemed that Ness calmed down.

This made Virena calm down too as she curiously looked and wondered Joren's intention. Noticing this, Kidrith let her go since it's stopping this vampire still takes a toll on her weakened body. Kidrith only made it seem like she did it effortlessly.

Sniff*

Wiping her eyes while sniffing, Ness looked at Joren with sad eyes and asked again, "Why… are you angry with me? Is it because I only sent Jack to find you?"

"No," Joren crossed his arms and legs, "this is about Virena. While she was out and fighting with the rampaging Monstein, what are you doing?"

Joren didn't reprimand Monstein unlike Ness because he knew that he was not someone who would listen.

This could be likened to reprimanding a child who pooped on the bed while the dog wasn't scolded since it didn't know what it had done anyway. Instead of pointlessly shouting at it, it's better to just keep it off the bed.

At least, Joren thinks that Monstein has the intelligence of a dog for now. Meanwhile, Ness has a thinking brain so she has some responsibilities. Furthermore, it's not like Monstein will have no punishment later.

"Eh? A-about that… I was busy with the…" seeing Joren's eyes that tells her that's nota valid reason, Ness just shut her mouth up and realized that she did let Virena go out and wait for her while she prays to Joren.

"If I'm dead, I'm dead. Why are you prioritizing me over Virena?"

"I…"

Ness' head lowered in shame.

"Come here. I will punish you so that I can forgive you." Joren said with an authoritative voice.

"H-how are you going to punish me?"

Ness didn't complain, instead, she would rather take this punishment since she accepted her wrongdoing.

Joren patted his thighs and said, "Come here."

"Why?"

"I'll spank you since you act like a child."

Back onto the group who's waiting for the two to resolve their issues, they suddenly saw Ness lied her belly onto Joren's thighs before Joren raised his hand and slapped her ass.

"N-no…"

Virena was in utter shock that she froze on the spot. "I-i-is he spanking the Principal!?"

"I think so…?"

Jack replied, intrigued.

"Joren! I will not forgive you for this! The Principal must be feeling so unjustified and terrified right now!"

Meanwhile…

"It doesn't hurt…" Ness said to which Joren replied.

"It's not about the physical pain. This is already quite humiliating for you, right?"

Ness looked at the group staning near the gate.

"To Virena… y-yes but I don't really care about what Jack thinks about me."

"It's like you're asking me to spank you harder."

"Yes, please." Ness determinedly replied to Joren's rhetoric statement.

"..."

"You're not wrong… I was too focused on the altar to think about Virena." Ness straightforwardly said, "I need to be punished!"

"Okay"

Pak* Pak* Pak*

…

"Ouch…" Ness stood up while holding her butt in pain. She then looked at Joren while expecting something.

Joren smiled and patted her head, "Alright, that was mature of you to accept the punishment. I forgive you."

Acting as if she's his responsibility, Joren just enforced punishment on her. Afterwhich, Ness hugged him again.

"I miss you."

Just when Joren gave light to her, he suddenly disappeared. Since then, Ness felt like life was playing her. Joren was the second person who she opened up in her whole long life. Virena was her support while he made her mundane life more exciting.

She realized she just lost someone very important.

Since he's there now, there's an invisible force that made Ness not want to let Joren go. Noticing this, he just dragged Ness towards the group. This was the cue that they resolved their issue so the group walked to them as well.

Virena stepped forward. After glaring at Joren, she lean forward and asked.

"Principal, are you okay?"

Ness glanced at Virena at first and after some hesitation, she hugged her too while sniffing.

"Sorry, Virena!"

"E-eh?" Virena was stunned and all the negative emotions she compiled were suddenly washed away.

Seeing this, Jack commented, "I can't believe my superior is such a brat. Crying and getting spanked like that."

Putcha*

Ness spat onto the ground in response. It was if she was not crying like a child. She looked at Jack coldly.

"Oi, are you being homophobic right now!?" Jack came forward with a nerve popping out of his forehead.

"No, but I'm pretty Jackphobic!"

Ness fought back as they had a stare-off contest. Both Kidrith and Monstein looked at this with fascination.

Kidrith: 'What does Jackphobic mean?'

Monstein: 'I wonder what Jack means.'