'Hey, hold up!' They were surprised by the sudden yelling behind them as they noticed a large fish heading towards them, Lamia looking slightly disgusted. 'Eww, what's that?!'
Suketoudara panted as he caught up to them. 'Ah, there you girls are!' Arle smiled. 'Oh, there you are Suketoudara! Did you manage to recover from that journey across the seaside?' He smirked. 'Yep, sure did! Seriri told me you were going on towards Westburrow Village, but it seemed things have been resolved there, and someone told me that you were going to the neighbour village. Looks like I got lucky catching up to you so quickly.'

'Right, we're heading there because there's a similar problem going on over in Eastcrevice Village but it hasn't been exactly resolved just yet, glad you could join us!' Lamia interrupted, looking suspicious at the fish person. 'Hey, hold up. You gals know this creep?' He looked agitated at the serpent. 'Hey, watch yer tone, lady. I ain't no creep, I'm Suketoudara! The most stylish dancer of the seas!'

Arle assured her. 'Hey, no need to get all antsy. This is Suketoudara alright. He helped us come to this place, and he wants to help us. And Suketoudara, this is Lamia, an acquaintance of someone who was being used in the scheme of what was going on Westburrow Village, she's friendly, well to us at least. 'Meh, thanks...' She slithered off ahead of the group, with the others following suit.

'I'll tell you what's been going oooon, Mr. Suketoudaraaaa.' Harpy trailed close to him as they followed suit towards Eastcrevice Village, reaching it in a few minutes. As soon as they entered the gates, they saw that the village was indeed in a uproar, and noticed that there wasn't a single woman in sight. 'Travelers!' One of the men from the village ran towards them, looking distressed. 'If you're planning to stay here for the evening, I strongly advise you to go somewhere else. It's not safe here for any woman!' Arle suspected as much, but wanted to learn more.

'Hold up. We're not here to stay for the day, we came here on request from your neighbor village Westburrow to deal with the problem here, as they suffered a similar fate with the men there. Could you tell me who took the women away?'

The man nodded, smiling. 'Oh thank heavens, help arrived. You see, last night there was this weird guy who appeared in our village, and he casted some weird magic, causing all of the women here to follow suit, and we tried to resist against that jerk, but he had backup with 2 monsters threatening us if we did anything suspicious, and we were forced to just sit by and watch them being taken away.'

A elderly man joined in on the conversation. 'Yes, and we think they've been taken to the mansion of that pretentious womanizer Incubus. It's not far to the north here, but we dread to fear what might happen to the girls if we did anything with them at his mercy or those monsters!'

Harpy inquired further. 'Could you pleeaase describe what the perpetrators looked liiike?'
The younger man obliged. 'Let's see...the man who cast that spell and took the women away didn't look too old, but what I could remember is that he was dressed in white, had matching white hair and wielded a sword. Arle reacted rather shocked to that. 'Schezo?!' The men looked rather awkwardly at her. 'You know that guy?!' She objected. 'Sort of, but we're not exactly friends.' She told them to assure she wasn't conspiring with him, if he had anything to do with it. 'Right... but the other monsters who assisted him looked like a crocodile and some kind of bird.' Rulue knew enough. 'Ah, must be those same creeps we encountered in Lilypad Lake yesterday! So this is what they've been up to last night.' The men pleaded to the group. 'Look, we just want the women back safe and sound, if you think you can help us out, we'd deeply appreciate that.'

'Sure, we'll see how we can do something about it, that dude's mansion was to the north, right?' Suketoudara said, and they nodded. 'Okay, then let's go.'

They left the village in pursuit of Incubus' mansion, though Arle was walking behind them, pondering about something, which Rulue noticed. 'What's wrong Arle?'
'It's weird regarding Schezo, don't you think? Just a while ago he was apparently being held hostage at Succubus' mansion, and now we find out he has something to do with these disappearances in the villages last night.' Rulue figured Arle had a good point regarding him. 'It did sound like it was him, alright. I can't recall any other white-haired guys in white clothing and a sword in the area that could have done it, but...you also got framed for something you didn't do. Maybe this is just some eerie coincidence?' Arle was still skeptical. 'I don't know...Schezo was suspicious before in the past, so this isn't entirely news to me...'

'Hey, you two! We reached the mansion!' Suketoudara shouted to Rulue and Arle, and they hurried on forwards, noticing a lavish mansion standing out in a field similar to Succubus, though this one oddly didn't have a barrier up. 'Strange...I guess this Incubus person must be pretty confident of himself to not guard his property that tightly.' Rulue commented, and was about to head off towards the mansion, though she was stopped by Harpy. 'Miss Rulueee, please don't be hasty. I think that it wouldn't be wise to just barge in there like thaaaat. Do you remember what the villagers told us?'

Rulue realized what she was talking about. 'Oh, right...then how are we supposed to get in then?' Lamia snapped her fingers. 'I got a idea.' Arle turned to her. 'You do?' The gathered around Lamia to hear her plan.

'Hmhmhm...these flowers are truly delicate...huh?' He heard some faint yelling outside, and peeked his head out of the top window overlooking the gate, and noticed several women lined up on the mansion's gate, with a serpent woman waving to him. 'Hey! Is anyone there?!'

'Stop your incestuous yelling, honey.' He waved to her. 'What's the meaning of this?' She giggled a bit at that remark, but kept her demeanor in check. 'Hey you with the blue hair. I was sent here by your colleague to deliver a few stray women that managed to hide away last night. Can I come in please?' He took a good look at the women who were obediently standing there, and sniffed his rose. 'Ah...my lucky day. Please do come in!' Snapping his fingers, the gates opened, and Lamia proceeded to walk inside with the girls in tow, though once inside, they noticed the mansion was filled with the same purple fog as well. 'Just as I thought, the same thing that happened to Succubus happened to her brother as well. Just look at this fog! *cough*' Arle kept her hand in front of her mouth and Carbuncle's. 'Right, but we can't let our guard down. We got lucky that we were able to fool that guy into letting us in so easily, but we got to find that plant first that's most likely influencing him.'

'Riiiight.' Harpy flew on ahead on the upper floor, noticing the hallway was decorated with various flowers, and the rest followed suit. 'I assuuume that the plant like with Succubus' case must be in the upmost floor of his privare quarteeeeers.'

'Hmm..hm...' He sniffed on more of his roses, starting to talk out loudly to himself. 'This truly is beautiful...all these wonderful girls flocking to my roses...they shall decorate my beauty like the sun shining down on my delicate flowers...*BANG BANG* Stunned, he turned his head to the door, and was caught off guard when Rulue kicked the door open rather forcefully, catching the attention of Incubus, who glared at her with his red eyes. 'You...do you even have the slightest idea how much a door like that costs?! I demand you to pay repairs!' She viciously glared in his direction. 'Can it, you womanizer. How about you release the women or else you'll meet my foot up close to your face!'

He snapped a rose towards his hand with his fingers, and made a pose, sniffing on it. 'Hmm hmm...although smelling your feet might be a arousing proposal, I have to decline it...you see, these honeys...they are mine now. and mine to to subjugate to whatever I desire...maybe you would like to desire it too?' He tossed his rose towards Rulue, who grabbed it, intending to break it out of refusal.

'Rulue! Don't do iiiiiit!" Harpy grabbed the rose out of her hand and tossed it back at Incubus' feet, the rose scattered to reveal a sleeping powder, and he simply snapped another rose in his hands, sniffing it. 'Ah...fair maidens know my tactics. A shame.' Arle wasn't having any of it either, and tossed a fireball in his direction. 'Fire!'

He tossed the rose in her direction, and it blocked the fireball, burning away the rose instead. His eyes glimmering amongst the purple smoke. 'Such impatience, ladies...just be quiet and embrace my loving care...AH!' He was so caught in his own incentive rambling that he didn't notice Lamia sneaking up behind him and wrapped her tail around him, her smirking. 'Hee hee, gotcha, pretty boy...ack!' She felt her body flinching from a rose stalk pinching in her side, and Incubus tried to wrestle free. 'Get your body off me, you repulsive...GRAAH!' The two wrestling, Arle. Rulue and Harpy took the chance to inspect his rather lavish and large personal quarters which seemed like a private garden moreso than a sleeping room, And they noticed that a plant was hidden behind a big bush of roses, spouting out the smoke, much to Incubus' horror, who became more aggressive. 'N-no! Not my prized posession! If you hags decide to...GRAAAGH!'

'Q-Quick, destroy that plan—argh, stop scratching my tail, you demon!'

Arle wasted no time and had Carbuncle fire a laser at the plant, it blowing up the plant and eradicating the smoke in the room.
'NOOO—urgh...' Incubus fainted, with Lamia still clinging on to him. 'Whew...that's that taken care of.' Arle nodded to Carbuncle, who smiled. 'Oh deeeaaar!" Harpy noticed a privare closet behind some other plants that were full of bottles with souls in them. 'So that's the souls of all the women this fool's been sucking out? Quickly, before he wakes up—'

'Urgh...' He woke up, Lamia loosening her grip on him, allowing him to recover. 'Hey, you okay there, handsome?'
'Oooh...my head, it hurts like a rose stung in my brain...' He got to his senses, and noticed the women standing around him, him quickly smiling faintly and attempted to appear rather collected and suave. 'Oooh, do my eyes deceive me? Truly the heavens must bless me with the appearances of these wonderful angels to come to the aid of such a delicate piece of beauty such as myself...'
Rulue sighed to herself. 'He hardly seems any different than when he was possessed...'
Harpy nodded in agreement. 'I think he always thinks rather hiiiiighly of himself.'
Arle just wanted to interrogate him given the opportunity. 'Um, excuse me, Mr. Incubus was—whoa!' He got up rather close to her, kneeling in front of her and offering her a rose. 'Yeeesss, my dear? Please say you like to um...how do you say it...spent time quality alone with moi?' Carbuncle stepped in and ate the rose out of hunger, Arle getting back on-topic. 'Sheesh, just stop! All I want to ask you if you had any visit from a man with white hair and equally white clothing last night who delivered these women to you?'

Incubus wiped the tears from his face, and complied. 'Ah...that's oddly specific, but yes, I did have such a man come to my mansion with these ladies in tow. He said 'Don't do anything too rashly with them, we want a good deal of them delivered down to us. 30% you can do with as you please.'

'As you please?' Arle wondered. 'You mean you were to drop them down a hatch as well to somewhere unknown?' Incubus showed a lever hidden behind some plants on a wall, and he nodded. 'Odd, you seem to know about everything that happened to me prior to those brutes brainwashing me with that...foul plant to keep me in check. How do you know all this?'

'Let's just say that something similar happened to your sister.' Incubus sighed, looking rather annoyed, but also somewhat grateful. 'Ah, that Succubus...always the all-knowing older sibling...still, if you did the same to her, I feel I must reward you fair maidens for that!'

Harpy stepped forward. 'Good! Then pleaaase restore the souls of the women back in their bodies, and release them to go back to their home village, alriiiight?' Incubus widened his eyes. 'W-What?! But...all these honeys...at my—''

They all glared at him, him sighing with his arms put up in a saddened manner. 'Ah...alas, a deal's a deal. I can't refuse a fair maiden's request at these conditions...ack!' Lamia wrapped her tail around him, trailing her finger under his cheek. 'Hm hm, don't look so disappointed, dear man, I'm still eager to get to know you more...intimate after you're finished with your little promise...' She licked her lips in a seducing manner, him squirming. 'Ah, but...don't you think you—ah, please don't squeeze me too tightly, my ass-sets hurts...'

'Ew...huh? Your butt hurts?' Rulue raised a eyebrow.
'Y-Yes...there were two women who resisted heavily when I...invited them over here in my horrible state earlier this morning. They managed to injure me somewhere rather...sensitive and I send them down the hatch as punishment...but I have no idea where that leads to.'

'Bah, so no leads here either.' Arle looked disappointed, but she walked towards the door. 'Right, we'll better go and tell the people in Eastcrevice town that the women will be returning soon.'

'You go on ahead, girls. I'll stay here to make sure this...delicate person keeps his promise...' She cuddled up close to him, much to his nervousness, and Rulue squinted in slight disgust. 'Fine, but thanks for aiding us, though. Come on Harpy.' 'Following riiight alooong...'

They exited the mansion, intending to rendezvous with Suketoudara who would remain hidden at a spot in the woods close to the mansion to not let their infiltration plan fall through and then go towards the village, but much to their confusion, he was nowhere in sight. 'Huh...where has he gotten to? We clearly agreed to meet up down he—Ack!'

Out of nowhere from the bushes and the trees, they were ambushed and surrounded by 3 figures, two of them looking rather familiar. 'Skree! Just as that fish guy told us!'

'Whaaaaat?! What did you—eeek!' Harpy shrieked as she saw Suketoudara's unconscious body being lifted on the back of the crocodile-like creature, who smirked to them. 'Heheh, he resisted heavily, but he was no match for the three of us!'

'Right...' The third person stepped forward to the trio of girls, and smirked, his sharp horn shining rather menacingly as he showed his vampire teeth. 'You girls have been meddling yourself in the affairs of my master, and hence I'll take the responsibility upon myself to make sure you won't be doing so any further! Haaaaa!'

'Master?! Wait you don't mean—AH!' Rulue was cut off as they felt themselves being enveloped by a gray fog, their minds feeling rather unwell, and they soon fainted, dropping to the ground, and were picked up by the trio. 'Skree, what do you want us to do with them?'

'Uuurgh...' Arle slowly opened up her eyes, and panicked, finding herself locked up in a square cell. 'What the—Carby?!' She felt her shoulder, her clothing still intact on her, but Carbuncle was nowhere to be seen in the dark cell, it being lighted by a single torch. 'Carbuncle?! Where are you?! Harpy?! Rulue?! Suketoudara?!'

She heard banging on the cell, a troll-like midget peeping through the bars. 'Hey, shaddup in there, will ya?!' She approached the bars. 'Where is this?!' He chuckled. 'Heh, this is a underground prison, missy! The boss ordered me to keep ya in here until he knows what to do with you.'
She banged on the cell. 'Where are my friends?' He banged his club against the bars as a warning. ''Ey, that's none of yer business. Now keep quiet, or do I have to get in here?!'

She backed off, him walking off in response, and she crawled against a corner, worried for the safety of the others. Though she suddenly got an idea, being reminded of a similar situation in the past...

The troll was counting his salary in his hand, until he heard Arle's shouting. 'Hey, could someone please help me?! I'm having trouble undressing myself!' The troll opened up the bars with a lever and rushed inside. 'Hold on there, I don't wanna miss this—huh?'

'Lightning!' She fired a bolt of lightning at the troll from the corner of the cell where he couldn't see her before entering, and he shrieked, dropping the club before she whacked him unconscious on the head with the torch on the head, and walked outside with the torch in her hand, lowering the lever to keep him imprisoned, and noticed two hallways both dimly lit with various lights, choosing to go left first, proceeding cautious. 'I wonder what happened to the others...'