No matter how hard she tried, Tamamo couldn't breathe properly. She could still use the power of the earth to protect herself against attacks from the succubus, but the latter didn't seem to want to push her assault. She was instead walking around, and checking on the pouch that the kitsune had brought with her.
"Ooh, don't worry, I wouldn't be so crass as to kill you. You are still one of mother's sisters, after all." Every one of her words was laced with venom. "However… I have the feeling that you would have created more problems for us very soon." She crouched near Tamamo, and looked straight in her eyes.
"You didn't seem quite enthusiastic when Kanon talked about our return. And the more you talked, the more I could feel that indeed, you've grown soft. You would rather go hungry than inconvenience humans. You care more about your children than yourself, and you even look quite happy with humans standing side by side rather than under monsters. It will be up to us to teach them their places, something that you utterly failed to do those last years. Oh, sure, you were busy protecting the Monster Lord… Please stop trying to move."
Astaroth altered the flow of wind around the kitsune's head, preventing her from recovering her breath properly. The kitsune castigated herself as she tried getting up. She had simply not considered that the Lilith Sisters could be freed before the ancestors. But it was only natural, after all, since the seal on them was weaker and would require less energy to break.
"Where was I already… Oh yes, we were rotting away while you strutted around and created yourself your own little happy world. A world where the legendary Lilith Sisters and the Six Ancestors were forgotten legends, where the myth of the Dark Goddess became twisted to make her look like a weakling born from Ilias…" Her expression contorted into a hate-filled grimace. "…And which is now led by a Monster Lord influenced by a hero of Ilias, both of whom think that monsters and humans can stand as equals. It's time for all of you wake up and see the truth. My sisters will see that the message get across their mind." Astaroth pulled a talisman. "Ah, maybe after you've been imprisoned a few years, you will better understand what we had to suffer, and maybe one day you will even understand why we won't bend the knee to anyone… What?"
Astaroth turned toward the entrance of the cavern after a small unnatural change in the wind alarmed her, and was greeted by a surprise punch in the face that knocked her away from Tamamo. The kitsune looked up to see her savior, and almost collapsed in relief when she recognized Alma Elma. She could finally breathe normally again, but still couldn't articulate a single word.
"Mmh. So that's our succubus? Well, I understand better now." She assumed the stance of a martial artist while Astaroth got up.
"Hueurgh, I didn't imagine the Succubus Queen would come here. I only saw you screwing around. Shame on me once for being surprised I guess." She assumed a martial artist stance herself. "But it doesn't matter. I will show you the real power of an ancient succubus, and claim the title for myself!"
Astaroth charged Alma Elma with a powerful punch that her opponent managed to dodge just in time before counter-attacking with a leg sweep. Astaroth took the hit and didn't react, only pushing her assault with a high-kick of her own. Alma Elma managed to duck under her assault, and elbowed her opponent straight in the stomach as she got up. Astaroth groaned in surprise, but managed to grab Alma Elma by an arm and tossed her across the cave. However, the Succubus Queen landed on her feet and prepared herself against her opponent's next assault.
In the meantime, Tamamo was desperately crawling on the ground, checking her seals. She had prepared several recovery spells, but couldn't find it amongst the mess the succubus had spread on the ground. Most offensive seals that could harm her target would hurt Alma Elma in equal measure.
Instead of rushing at her opponent, Astaroth casted a blade of wind at Alma Elma in an attempt to destabilize her. The Succubus Queen narrowly dodged the attack which left an impressive gash in the wall and riposted with one of her owns. Astaroth tanked the hit and chuckled.
"Did succubi became so weak in our absence that you became their queens? Your wind is pathetic! Let's see how you handle this!"
Astaroth's left hand was now surrounded in a pink glow while Alma shivered in pleasure.
"Ooh. Not bad. A good trick when you lack in skills when it comes to pleasing their partners…"
The red-haired instantly stopped her assault and shrieked like a banshee as she lunged toward Alma Elma. The Succubus Queen attempted to grab her opponent with her tail, but the latter tore the offending limb apart in a frenzy. Astaroth then attempted to uppercut the Succubus Queen straight in the jaw, and when her opponent leaned back to dodge her attack, she used her own tail to wrap both of her legs. Alma Elma only slightly stumbled before the limb tore up, but it was enough for Astaroth who managed to sweep her with another low kick. She then lifted herself of the ground as high as the roof of the cavern allowed her to, and successfully dive-bombed on top of Alma Elma, pinning her opponent's arms under her own legs in the process.
"You're an insult to succubi! I can as well kill you! Your death will help free our mother faster!"
She resumed her assault on Alma Elma, the Succubus Queen barely able to defend herself as blows rained on her face.
Something clicked in Tamamo. A primal fury born from the desire to protect someone dear to her swept through her, and she wanted nothing more than to end the one responsible. She grabbed the first wind talisman she found, and used it on her head. She exploited the air passing through her lungs and endured the pain caused by its damaging nature to use her word of dispel.
"I ask thee, eternal time... My body, shackled by the powers of creation, I beseech thee. Return my true body to me!"
Fully unsealed, Tamamo finally got up with an expression of pure rage. She grabbed Astaroth with one of her tail as the latter was still pummeling Alma Elma, and repeatedly slammed the red-haired succubus on the ground, making the cavern quake each time.
Alma Elma slowly got up, her face swollen after Astaroth's treatment. "So much for martial arts being unbefitting of a succubus…" She turned toward Tamamo. "You-"
The kitsune interrupted her assault and looked at Alma Elma with all her authority, freezing the succubus queen on the spot.
"She has two sisters! They're going to attack Luka and Alice! Sound the alarm! NOW!"
Alma mechanically nodded before disappearing. Tamamo turned back toward Astaroth who was trying to use her wind abilities to free herself from the appendage. Tamamo reacted by resuming her assault, and slammed her again and again, until she could feel the succubus stopping to struggle. Only then, she brought her head close to her opponent's own dazed face. She was so enraged she had to look away to stop herself from lunging with her teeth out at the exposed throat presenting itself in front of her.
"Why are you trying to kill your own kin?! Why did you even attack me in the first place when we could have talked everything over? Why… Just…"
Tamamo screamed at the top of her lungs, making the earth shake again. "What the FUCK Astaroth?!"
The succubus weakly answered. "You wouldn't understand..."
"I WILL!" She wrapped all her tails around Astaroth and tossed her with all her might one final time in the opposite wall of the cavern. The stone shattered under the impact, and a pang even collapsed on top of the succubus, burying her under several tons of rock.
Tamamo calmed herself. She didn't want to end the life of the succubus, and felt a small twinge of concern for her. She grabbed one of the imprisoning seals lying on the ground, and checked under the pile of rubble. Once she could confirm her victim was still breathing, Tamamo wrapped every one of her limbs with seals, including her tail. She then pulled the limp body out of the devastation, and couldn't detect any fracture on the succubus. Well, she had always been one tough girl…
"Once your dear sisters are under control, we will have a little talk, just you and me."
But beforehand, she finished doing what she initially came here for, namely examine the seals. All those unexpected turns of events had almost made her forget one of the most important information.
Namely, when were her own sisters going to be free.
Luka was woken up in the middle of the night by an electrical sensation. He checked his immediate surroundings, and could only see the sleeping form of Alice by his side, her breath being the only sound reaching his ears. He felt reassured by her presence, but couldn't part himself from the feeling that something was horribly wrong. He tried to focus his senses on the hallway beyond the room, and was instantly assaulted by the feeling of the syrupy air, reminding him all too much of the assault from the succubus he saw last night.
"Alice." The hero tried to delicately shake the Monster Lord who didn't answer. He tried again a little more firmly, and tapped her cheek repeatedly in an attempt to wake her up. As the tingling sensation was creeping up his whole body, he decided to shake her until she woke up, consequences be damned.
"Alice!"
"Huh, what?" The Monster Lord groggily answered him rubbing her eyes all the while. "We're in the middle of the night… Do you want me to suck you dry?" There was a certain threatening undertone in her words.
"Not now! I think that same succubus that wrecked havoc is attacking us!"
Alice looked cross-eyed for a minute as she let her senses scan the remainder of the castle, but she felt that she was trying to cut through a thick, fluffy blanket that had invaded every corner of the castle. There were guards to take care of the intruders, with several of them being hich-level succubi themselves, and that was not counting the likes of Alma Elma or Tamamo. Maybe it was even the former who was trying to practice her magic skills, but... No, it was too powerful to be born from the succubus neglectingly casting spells around. It was deliberate.
"You're right." She started slithering out of her bed, and the room was suddenly bathed in a crepuscular light. "Gear up. We have trash to take out of the castle."
Luka grabbed his set of cloth and checked his pockets to confirm that Tamamo's seals were still with them. He looked at his Enrikan Shirt with nostalgia: the unremarkable cloth had been bought at the beginning of his adventures, and even after the war he went through, it was still looking as good as new.
He then proceeded to take Angel Halo from his wardrobe, and weighted the distorted sword in his hands. Alice was initially against keeping the horribly distorted weapon in their room, but Luka had grown fond of the sword, and after more than half a year of adventures that involved being all too regularly attacked by monsters, he felt naked without its presence on his side.
Alice herself put on her clothes. Although they looked like mere wraps made of a leathery material, they helped her channel her natural power when fighting.
Once they were sure both of them were ready, Alice carefully opened the door that led to their large bedroom. There was not a sign of movement in the hallway, but the air was indeed thick with the promise of pleasure, and Luka even felt slightly nauseated from the aura. Even Alice grimaced.
"It's definitively too pungent to come from Alma Elma. Hurgh, seriously, I already feel dirty and in need of a bath. We're going to need to ventilate the castle for weeks to get it out."
They slowly progressed through the hallways, almost expecting to be attacked by an unseen assailant from every corner. They could occasionally see a guard slumped against a wall, her mind dazed. Alice checked on one of them and frowned: It looked like they would need to train them against those types of attacks. Maybe the local succubi were faring better… Her hopes collapsed the moment they found one.
The red-haired, purple skinned monster looked properly roughed up, tucked away in a corner. Her limbs were hanging lifelessly from her body and her torso was covered with several deep cuts and other wound marks. Alice needed to check her pulse to confirm that she was alive.
"Our succubus is not just a powerful caster, but a skilled warrior as well… She deliberately assaulted our guards to deal as much damage as possible without killing them." She moved back and whistled disapprovingly. "Where are the Heavenly Knights when you need them?"
"She had pulled that diversion trick once in the past. She probably did it again."
"Maybe. But I wouldn't expect Tamamo to fall for it again. I mean, I can get the idea that Alma Elma would laze away and that Erubetie is currently busy cleaning Undine's Spring, but Granberia and Tamamo should have remained here."
"Granberia has difficulties dealing with succubi. She's likely already down."
"And what do you know about that?"
Luka froze. He didn't want to tell Alice that he saw Granberia and Alma Elma spar against each other a few times, fights that always ended with the dragonkin dominated by the succubus who enjoyed the occasion to thoroughly ravish her opponent. The latter didn't seem to mind much if her expressions and her regular challenges were any indication.
"…Fourty-eight defeats and counting."
Alice shrugged. "Mph. Whatever. Ready up, I think I know where our succubus is hiding."
The duo made its way to the currently closed throne room. Alice slowly breathed in and out a few times, bracing herself. She looked on her side to see Luka doing the same.
She opened the door and her body instantly confirmed that the large room was indeed the central point of the aura that affected the castle. The air was so saturated it was impossible to see the other end of the room because of the supernatural thick fog, and simply moving forward felt like walking in cotton. Luka could only regret not having the Four Spirits at hand to support him. Or at least Sylph to clear that sickeningly sweet mist.
As they slowly progressed forward, they arrived in sight of the throne, and could indeed see a succubus sitting across its armrests. Her long purple hair reminded the hero of Alma Elma, while her horns just looked like Alice's. She was wearing a low-cut sweater that was clinging to her impressively large forms, and kneesocks that accentuated het thick thighs. She turned to see the two newcomers, and Luka discerned a sweet, sisterly smile, but he also still recognized the gaze of a predator salivating in anticipation in her red eyes. It was not exactly the succubus he saw in his dreams, but their auras were too similar to be a mere coincidence.
Alice subtly elbowed him, and Luka instantly got the hint. The place was even darker than usual, and her aura blocked any possible detection. She definitively had a servant waiting to ambush them if she didn't get what she wanted through talk alone.
The Monster Lord straightened herself while her tail rattled as a warning. She looked warily at the intruder, her arms crossed. "Who are you, to think you can sit on the Monster Lord's throne with such insolence?"
The succubus giggled while lifting a hand in front of her mouth. "Does it really matter? Very well. I shall humor you, although I'm disappointed that you never heard of me. I impute this responsibility to a certain golden fox… But it wouldn't do any harm to present myself I guess... My name is Lilith. And I am the leader of the legendary trio of sisters of the same name."
Luka had difficulties staying focused, but he revised his judgment none the less. She had two servants out there…
"As to why I am currently sitting on this throne…" She repositioned herself before standing up, stretching herself while moaning exceedingly sensuously and revealing black leather wings and a spade tipped-tail, as if her nature as a succubus wasn't already obvious. The hero had to shake himself to keep his mind clear. "I simply thought that it was time for you to recognize us."
Alice's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? I never heard about you indeed, and the first thing you do is assaulting my loyal subjects. The only acknowledgment you will get will be retribution for the damages you dealt."
"Is this the Monster Lord talking, or the hero of Ilias that carved his way through her mind?"
Both Luka and Alice were dumbfounded as they looked at each other. The succubus laughed haughtily, and Luka could feel her voice attempting to penetrate her mind.
"Oh, well… I suppose we should do that the old-fashioned way."
"Do you intend to challenge me for the throne?"
"Although I do indeed want to challenge you… I'm more interested in the hero. Dealing with you won't be up to me. Now…" She extended a hand. "Will you join me, hero? I can offer you pleasure beyond what that weakling can."
"My loyalty belongs first and foremost to my wife." Luka frowned. "I certainly won't join you."
Lilith gasped, seemingly wounded by the harsh words, but Luka could tell the succubus was exaggerating her reactions in hope of garnering sympathy.
"I see… It's a shame… Well, in that case, allow me to resolve the first issue for you."
Grasping the hint, Luka jumped behind Alice. His blade deviated an attack from a hidden assailant that he could finally see: It was yet another succubus, with short blue hairs and horns. She was wearing white glows and stockings, with mere wraps hiding her naughtiest bits while a blue ribbon adorned her horns. The left part of her body was covered in power tattoos, and Luka could tell by her elated grin that she wasn't someone he could hope to reason.
"Wow! It looks like the hero has some spirit, sister!"
"Take care of the Monster Lord, Morrigan, I'll grab him for us!"
"Sigma frost!" A wave of cold attacked Lilith who recoiled slightly. In the blink of an eye, Luka found himself facing Lilith while Alice was forced to defend herself against Morrigan. The hero focused himself to reach a serene mind. He couldn't feel any bloodlust coming from Lilith, contrary to her sister, but he felt his will steady up against the mental assaults from the succubus.
Lilith tried attacking Luka in a way the hero was all too familiar with. She was attempting to bring him to Critical Ecstasy with a mix of caresses and mental assaults to tear his barriers down. Furthermore, her extreme speed made landing hits extremely difficult. Besides, he still forced himself to hold back on his angel powers as they still corroded his body when he used them. As such, he fought mostly defensively, only trying to keep her back with his sword and meditating to keep his mind clear from her temptations.
He completely changed his mind when he heard Alice wince in pain when Morrigan slashed at the Monster Lord's tail repeatedly. While Alice was holding her own against Morrigan and more often than not managed to keep her at bay with a well-placed spell, the speed of the succubus could afford her to attack Alice's long tail and move back before the Monster Lord could physically counter-attack. He couldn't afford to hesitate.
"Ninefold Rakshasa!"
Lilith jumped back to dodge the series of rapid attacks, but she still took several hits. Her eyes started glowing as she prepared a counter-attack, and realized too late why the hero was standing still as she unleashed her assault.
"My mother is the Star of Morning, the child of dawn. The star thrown to the earth shall obtain victory!"
A magical comet appeared in the throne room to crash right on top of Lilith, knocking her back. When she examined the hero, she noticed the magic pouring from one of his pocket. That damn fox had given him some tools to defend himself against her… She could still get him, but it would be a long, drawn-out fight. Unless…
"Lilith Orgia!" A wave of pleasure caught both the hero and the Monster Lord off guard. Morrigan managed to slash Alice across her chest, and while the lamia recovered, she moved to support her sister against the hero. Feeling the bloodlust from the new assailant, Luka stepped on the side and managed to dodge a series of rapid sword strikes.
However, before Lilith could make another move, a sudden gust surprised her. She turned toward the entrance to see Alma Elma rushing at her with her fist raised. Several guards were behind her as well, making Lilith grind her teeth in frustration. In the meantime, the Monster Lord had already recovered and was forcing Morrigan on the defensive.
She sent a mental message to her younger sister.
"We won't be able to grab the hero for ourselves. Let's regroup and leave."
"Come on! That was supposed to be our first meal to celebrate our return!"
"We'll settle down. We underestimated them. Move out and hurry up."
Lilith dodged Alma Elma's next attack and elegantly jumped across the room in a heartbeat, managing to evade everyone. She groaned when she noticed her sister was instead trying to carve herself a way through the guards.
"Morrigan, stop screwing around and leave! We're about to get overwhelmed!"
"Yeah, yeah, just leave me a second… Kya! That damn hero hit me again! I can't break him out of his serene mind! And now the Monster Lord is trying to punch me again! I'm right behind ya!"
As more guards poured in, Lilith actively dodged the incoming monsters with all the grace she could muster. Morrigan was now following her, but Lilith could feel the aura of her sister waver. That strange weapon the hero wielded was too dangerous to be ignored in the future.
Right now, however, was more focused on the guards running in hot pursuit, and she could still only barely manage to evade them. She flew upward and managed to escape through the roof with Alma Elma in hot pursuit.
In the meantime, Morrigan was trying to escape through the main entrance which was now locked. She charged the offending door while preparing a devastating attack…
…And was completely caught off guard when a pillar of slime rose from the ground and pinned her to the roof in a violent shock. She stimulated the slime by using her magical aura, making it drop her in surprise, but Luka was already on top of her with fury in his eyes. She raised her sword to defend herself, but stumbled back as the slime attempted to grab her by the ankles even as she was hovering above the ground.
"Flash Kill!"
The hero reached her and slashed at Morrigan's throat with Angel Halo. The succubus felt another cold wave where the hero hit her, and yet another when he slashed her arm, making her drop her sword in a yelp of surprise. She used her aura to stimulate him in hope of slowing him down, but the hero pushed on forward and slashed her vertically.
If it was any other weapon, the succubus would have been cleaved in half. Instead, she shimmered for a moment and was transformed into a large blue bat.
"Pfft, fucking pacifist! Can't even get blood on his hands!"
The sealed Morrigan attempted to fly away, but was caught by a wave of blue slime that pinned her to the ground. Furious, Luka stomped one of her wing, making her cry in agonized pain.
"KYAAAA!"
"Luka. Stop. She's already crippled."
A buxom woman made of blue slime with red eyes rose from the ground. Her words were barely whispered, but they were carrying an undeniable authority.
"She tried to kill Alice! She must die!"
"And then what? Weren't you the one telling me in the past that you should not let vengeance and hatred consume you?"
Luka calmed down his breath. If it was any other monster, he might have answered back… But Erubetie… She and her brethren had suffered from the pollution coming from humans, and had considered slaughtering them all. Then Luka stepped in, and after one of her own betrayed her and when the humans she despised came to help her, she completely turned back and became just as active as any of the other Heavenly Knights when it came to fostering peace, which was an impressive development considering she used to be a complete shut-in. Taking that lesson from her in particular made him shift uncomfortably as he realized he came extremely close to cross a line he had never considered in the past.
"You're right Erubetie… Sorry, and thank you for… Thank you."
The slime bowed. "You're welcome. I only wish I was there earlier, but I had a meeting with that alchemist to seek another solution to eliminate the poison polluting my home."
A second later, Alice slithered in, with a few of her wounds already healed. "And I'm already fine… Don't worry Luka. We both saw worse."
"And them?" He pointed at her stomach.
Alice smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. They won't be harmed just like that." She held out one of her hand, which the hero gladly grabbed with a smile of his own as they looked at each other's eyes.
"Oh, boo-hoo, look at this lovey-dovey couple! I'm sure KYAAAAA!"
Alipheese punched the other wing of the sealed Morrigan.
"You're still not out of hot waters, and you have a LOT to answer for... As soon as Alma Elma's back and as soon as we find Tamamo, I will make sure you tell us everything!"
A minute later, an half-dazed Granberia was arriving. The dragonkin's armor was only half put on, and her sword apparently threatened to slip from her hands. She was groveling about those damnable succubi's spells when she saw everyone in front of her.
"…Am I too late?"
"Minagi?"
"Yes mother? Do you need anything from me?"
"What are you currently watching?"
"The men that lead this world… The Sabasa King looks like an interesting hunk, and I wouldn't mind corrupting the old king of San Ilia before feasting on him..."
"Strange. After your last attempt, I would have thought you would only have eyes for the hero."
"I would never restrict myself so much. He's still a priority though."
After a minute of silence, Alipheese decided to make her point more clear. Apparently, her tone didn't quite convey the information she wanted. Minagi was really deeply buried in her search for partners if she didn't even notice.
"Did you have a word with your dear little daughters before they were freed?"
"No. I didn't even realize they were free in the first place. Although I'm glad to hear this new, if somewhat disappointed that they didn't even take the time to talk with me first… Why?"
"Then would you kindly take a look at the entrance of the Monster Lord's Castle?"
After a second of silence, Minagi started emitting uncomfortable sounds as she surveyed the content of the room. At least, she wasn't happy either, and it confirmed Alipheese that what happened was just yet another mistake from the hot-headed succubus trio and not a planned attempt on her great granddaughter's life.
"I'm sorry. I never imagined they would do something so reckless and so... aggressive."
"I guess I should clarify a few things then. All of you, I know you are listening right now."
She got several answers acknowledging her.
"After the latest… Incident, I want to make something clear. Once you will be free of this seal, you will be free to do with this world and its inhabitants as you please. It is only your right, and it is fully natural that you want to get the place you think legitimately belongs to you in this world… There is, however, an exception to that."
Once she was sure she got their attention, she continued. "From now on, should harm come to my biological descendant or threaten the well-being of her future progeny, I will, and I insist I WILL PERSONALLY end the very existence of the one that came to harm her, and do so in a way that will make that person regret that she ever existed. Did I make myself clear?"
The five sealed ancestors calmly acknowledged her words.
"Good."
The Dark Goddess felt her shoulders slump as she sighed. She would have to find a way to contact Tamamo to clear the air. She attributed the succubi's behavior to their natural desire for freedom and the envy they could have toward the kitsune who remained free. Maybe she should keep a leash on her children to prevent this from happening. Not taking any risk was a tempting option…
Then again… She had no right to restrict her children further after what they endured. That freedom belonged to them. What they did with it was up to them.
And if they were acting up again, dealing with them would be up to the current Monster Lord and her champion.