In Iliasburg, the population got to enjoy the surprise of being woken up by a sound that was a mix of a death rattle and a whistling noise as the sun started rising. Alarmed, several people carefully opened their blinds and checked outside, afraid of attracting the attention from whatever creature pushed this cry. Several people correctly identified the dispute happening at the entrance of a large, very recently built palace as being the source of said alarm cry.

A strange monster that had a green snake head and a human lower body was twisting and hissing around in a cacophonic melody. In front of her, a sharply dressed man and two grey, rough-looking wolf monsters wearing revealing leather armors and carrying swords on their back were standing calmly, looking down on the monster. The man was holding a small parchment in his hand.

"This cannot be! It should not be! There must be a mistake!" She finally stopped herself and glared at the man who returned her look in kind. "Did you wait for dawn to specifically commit your dirty little deed? The moment at which I am the most vulnerable? Like a blade in the shadow?"

The man answered with a stern voice. "This business is private simply for the sake of your own discretion. We only did it this precise morning for practical reasons."

"Ooh!" Amira looked around as a few curious people were coming closer. "Then maybe you want to do it again with everyone watching? Do you dare?"

"I do. I will repeat myself then." The man cleared his throat and started to read a document loudly. "By order of the Guild of Merchants of Iliasburg, Amira, the owner and sole inhabitant of Amira's Pleasure palace is to leave the premises of her current residence immediately. Her… Housing will be repossessed by the bank of Iliasburg to pay her debts to the different organizations in and out of this city."

Whispers ran amongst people. Amira shouted in a panic once again. "This is impossible! I am filthy rich! My book about the adventures of the hero and his lover are selling like hot buns! I have enough money to buy you!"

"Then if you have enough money to pay your debt, please give it to the bank or pay out your obligations immediately."

Amira started sweating heavily as she stepped back. "I-I need more time! But I am one of the hero's greatest support! I do deserve some recognition!" She looked up to the sky and continued in a whining, melodramatic voice. "Is this my fate for being born different? Is this how I, Amira, will end her life? In the streets, like a common beggar? Me, the savior of Succubus Village?"

The man sighed and leaned forward sympathetically as he talked more silently.

"Look Amira… We all do appreciate the effort you pulled through, and your book IS popular… But the issue you see-"

"It is that you are a heartless goon executing the shadowy guild order to criminalize poor little me!"

"-Is that you are in an impressive debt to a lot of people." The man pointed at the opulent palace behind her. "If you had followed the procedure to build your palace, there wouldn't have been any problem, and you'd only have spent a third of what the construction did end up costing you. Instead, you just threw money around left and right each time troubles came up to get people to fix it for you. Then there are your other expenditures, like the restaurants…"

"I am a hero! I am allowed a certain lifestyle!"

"Of course, but you bought the services of some of the most expensive mages to teleport you to Grand Noah to eat there and get back home every day, twice a day." The man pulled out another paper from a back pocket. "There's also your… Outrageous commands to the smith." He unwrapped the paper to show her a picture of herself in a golden armor incrusted in jewels. One of the wolf girl peeked and chuckled: Even from there, it was clear said armor was gaudy and unpractical, a metallic casket for any warrior who didn't know better.

"And last…" The man pointed at the so called Amira's Pleasure Palace. The manor was the biggest building around, dwarfing even the luxurious Sutherland Inn. The marble of its construction was the purest white, dazzling every onlooker while its large, golden trimmed windows showed ebon furniture and curtains made with the finest arachne silk. Around the building was a large elaborate garden, with flower bushes from Fairy's Island and other vegetation that could only be found near World Tree, all crossed with marble paths. At its center was a large fountain on three levels, with a gold statue of Amira at the top.

However, most of this grandiose spectacle was hardly visible as it was hidden behind an absolutely massive gold wall that represented Amira in different scenes depicting heroic actions.

"The bribes to pay for the irregular installation of this were enough to push you into bankruptcy… Now, I sincerely apologize, but between that monstrosity, your debts and your repeated disruption of public order when you sing drunk at 1 AM…"

"No appreciation for art."

"…It's been estimated that you would need to sell those books for five hundred more years before being able to pay everything. We're doing that because there are people that want you dead unless they get paid now."

"You're lying! It is just an excuse to steal my possessions earned legitimately. And you two! You should be ashamed to serve such a lowly, dubious man! I thought you had standards!"

One of the wolf girl talked for the first time since they showed up. "This is why we're here."

Amira gulped and visibly recoiled.

"Luna, Lupa… Look, I know your reputation and you wouldn't harm an old friend… Right?"

"While we won't kill you, we have to collect the payment for Mephisto. You haven't paid the Grand Noah's Magical Academy once for all the services offered… And you never paid us for guarding you either."

In an unusually swift motion, Amira turned back and started running to her house. In an even swifter movement, both wolf girls jumped right on top of her and pinned her. Amira proceeded to push a cry that sounded like a death rattle.

"Help me, my loyal supporters! I am unjustly attacked!"

Both wolf girls effortlessly lifted the reverse lamia over their shoulders. "Come on Amira. Don't make this awkward for us again please."

The man sighed again. "I'll make the proper appraisal. Please carry her in a cell until she calms down."

The two wolf girls nodded and carried Amira away, as the streets of Iliasburg were now filled with people going on with their daily lives and trying to ignore the background noise.

Eventually, the two wolf girls reached the barracks of the city. The guard at the entrance raised an eyebrow as soon as he saw the strange spectacle show up in front of him.

"Again?"

Luna exaggeratedly sighed.

"Please, let's get this over with before it becomes any more awkward."

The guard opened the door while the two monsters carried the still-screaming Amira. They barely attracted a glance from the guards as they descended into the jail. The warden didn't even look up from his book when they reached the lowest level.

"What happened this time?"

"Help! It is a mistake! I am victim of discrimination."

"Her debts are catching up."

"Oh. Carry on then."

The two wolves then unceremoniously dumped Amira on the floor of one of the cell in a pathetic whining noise. The reverse lamia repositioned herself up as the duo looked at her with a mix of contempt and sympathy.

"Please don't make us do that again. We have a reputation to uphold."

"Feh! The deadly twins will live on fine! Why do you worry that much?"

"Oooh, so you're twins…"

As soon as they heard the new sensual voice, the two monsters turned around in the blink of an eye, their weapons at the ready. A figure concealed under a large cloak was leaning against the entrance of the cell.

"Succubus!"

"Why so fiery? I am only a monster passing by…"

The duo growled in synch. "In the middle of a jail? Don't make us laugh. I don't know what your plans are, but they end now."

The intruder straightened herself before moaning. Amira could feel the sound echo in her mind, dazing her.

"Very well then. You will make for some nice entertainment."

Two moans echoed and the stranger was in front of the reverse lamia as the two wolves crumpled to the ground. In a single second, Amira felt gratefulness for her savior, before it turned into pure, primordial fear. She ran back, even as she was against the wall. She saw two rubies shine under the stranger's hood, and, the next instant, she fell into a tranquil bliss.

"So I spent time reading your book. I should thank you for the hindsight on the hero's adventure, but I have the feeling that it is a bit too heavily romanticized and might not be fully accurate. Now… I already noticed the importance you had in the hero's mind, but I couldn't quite get to exploit it in the one opportunity I had when I met him… I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I… read the knowledge you have about him?"

Still dazed, Amira nodded.

"Good."

In a blink of light, Amira collapsed. The stranger smirked as she looked at the reverse lamia's body. What a curious monster… So helpful and yet so strange. Her sister would definitively appreciate getting her hands on her as a payment for her services.

She then looked at the two lying wolf girls. The temptation to play with them or inflame their lust to see them rampage around the city was strong… But too noticeable. It would instantly blow her cover. It was better if they all forgot everything that just happened.

"Let's see how Kanon is doing instead."

"…"

"Predictable."

"…"

"Mmh. I see… Plan B it is then. That place will be perfect."

Artiste.

"Have a nice day, thank you for your patronage!"

Chrome was enthusiastically thanking the man that had bought one of her Luka dolls and checked the now empty counter: It was her most successful items, and she spent almost as much time crafting them than doing anything else. It was a mixed blessing: She could live more than comfortably, but the production time was now eating at her researches in other domains. Granted, she was more careful in said research and anything pertaining to necromancy was forbidden, but she still wanted to do more work in biology fields. However, she also had to keep her clients satisfied to have the steady income required in the first place.

The shop was slowly starting to empty as the sun was setting down on the city of San Ilia. She was starting to tidy up the counters and shelves before leaving the room when she briefly saw some movement at a window and a deaf sound. She sighed. Probably another one of those "True Faith" guys that attempted to vandalize her shop by throwing a rock. It didn't matter. The windows had been reinforced, and protection spells protected the building against most assaults they could come up with. Of course, there was still the possibility that they might enter to attack her, but she was far from defenseless and could incapacitate them should it come to worse. And before that, it was just as likely that someone already caught him and was bringing him to prison. She had grown a good reputation with the local inhabitants in a short period of time.

So she was quite surprised when the door opened. A hooded feminine stranger entered, carrying someone over her shoulder. The newcomer proceeded to effortlessly carry and throw her payload on a counter, surprising Chrome. It's only then that the necromancer noticed that the body had an expression of bliss and was completely dried. The stranger removed her hood and revealed a long purple mane and red eyes, with large black horns curved over her head. As soon as she turned toward Chrome with a devilish smile, the small necromancer was hypnotized by the two red jewels gazing at her.

"So you've learned the arts of telepathic messages… Tell me. What made you want to meet me?"

"I didn't want to meet you." Chrome felt her lips moving on their own. They expressed her thoughts without giving her a chance to block them. She instantly regretted her words.

The succubus raised her hand to her mouth in an exaggerated expression of surprise. She slowly stepped closer to Chrome in a swaying motion. The small necromancer felt like a mouse hypnotized by a snake.

"Can you even use telepathy?"

Chrome shook her head negatively. Her interlocutor's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Then perhaps you can tell me who contacted me to bring me here? I want to... Share my art with them."

Another voice echoed in the succubus' back. "That would be me."

The succubus turned back in the blink of an eye, ready to fight. Another interlocutor entered and locked the door behind her. She pulled out her hood to reveal to reveal her nature as a succubus. This one had black, horizontal horn, a whitish mane that almost reached the ground, and red eyes that looked like rubies blazing with the passion of pure lust.

"Mother…"

While the first succubus had scared Chrome, the second was utterly terrifying her. And if the fact that the one that implicitly threatened her a second ago was kneeling in front of her was anything to go by, she was entirely right. Eventually, the necromancer's instinct kicked in and she started running away from the duo. She had other exits in her shop just in case. However, after barely a second, she felt sluggish and tripped on the ground. All her fear was replaced by ecstasy, and soon, she was rolling on the ground while giggling maniacally.

"So much for modern succubi… A hundred years old, and unable to deal with the smallest wave of pleasure. She qualifies only as an imp." Minagi slowly stepped toward Chrome, and effortlessly lifted her with one hand.

"But a useful one… Someone like that definitively knows how to get around the castle's magic wards, does she?"

Chrome nodded negatively, her eyes hollow. "Only angels do…"

"Good, we will ask them… I wouldn't want to waste time finding out myself…" She summoned a comfortable bed and delicately placed the imp on it. The latter kept rolling repeatedly on the bed, her mind completely gone. "You won't mind if we borrow your place for a while? No? Good girl... I should reward you appropriately afterward."

She turned back toward Lilith. "Please, get up. Sorry for taking so long, but I needed to check on someone first." She removed her coat, revealing her almost nubile body and stretched. "Now… Can you tell me more about your plan to invade the Monster Lord's Castle? I feel disappointed to have been left out."

Lilith could feel a bead of sweat run alongside her back. "Well… You see…"

She explained her her plan which pretty much consisted in showing off the might of the Lilith Sisters by taking on the most powerful residents of the world in a one-sided display of power. Afterward, it was only a question of spreading fear and pleasure to get men to line up, and the world would have been their to enjoy freely. However, their assaults had gone very wrong as they had badly underestimated their opponents.

"I see… It was a shame the plan was so rushed and failed… And besides, the Dark Goddess would have been quite unhappy should her little granddaughter have died by Morrigan's hand."

Lilith reflexively kneeled and looked down.

"I apologize. It was reckless and idiotic from us."

"And Tamamo is probably not pleased by what Astaroth did to her either… We cannot afford to free them for now."

"So what are we to do now?"

Minagi smiled devilishly. "I have an idea, and we have a few weeks to prepare. I shall give Tamamo a taste of her own deviousness."

Lilith was smiling enthusiastically.

"Now now… I know you want to get your hands on those angels as soon as possible, but we must make preparations properly. We don't want to be noticed by the kitsune's friends or the little hero for now… And besides, it will be all the sweeter if we get our prize for the Birthday of Ilias. Wouldn't you agree?"

Lilith nodded frantically.

"Good. Let us get started… I want this day to be remembered. The first thing I need you to do is simple, but unusually delicate… But even before that, how about you tell me more about the local news?"

Vale growled as she checked her latest creation. The mithril sword she just crafted was of exceptional quality and had attracted praise from San Ilia's smith, but she was left unsatisfied.

As one of the oldest smith from Heaven, the valkyrie was an exceptional craftsman. She could and would make any weapon and armor for the will of Ilias. However, since the fall of Heaven… The fire of creation had left her. She could still craft equipment beyond what most mortals could do, but it was still a far cry from what she could do under Her Guidance. Her work was more than enough to satisfy and even impress soldiers and civilians alike, but not enough to satisfy her.

"My word! You truly are a blessed angel!" The smith she was working for was smiling as he checked the weapon. "I don't think I'll be able to ever do anything like that, and you create several copies in a day!"

The valkyrie neither looked back nor answered, lost in thoughts. Even if the weapons she produced were currently helping humans fight against monsters, she felt that she had lost her purpose.

"Well… It's been a long day." The man held out a relatively large pouch of gold in front of him. "Please, accept this modest payment for your impressive work and come back tomorrow. I am sure you will be able to produce more."

Vale nodded in acknowledgment as she accepted her salary. The sun was setting, but she had the time to relax this evening… Not that she knew what she would do besides going back home or hanging out with one of the cupids. The little angels knew how to have fun… But it barely filled the large hole made by the absence of Ilias and being forced to live far from Heaven. And, as much as she wanted to admit the opposite, the latter was the bigger problem of the two.

The valkyrie could feel her power wane with time, gradually corroded by the air around her. At first, it was extremely minor, as she became unable to use some of her stronger spells. She could feel her skills regenerate with much more difficulties than what they used to.

She shook her head to clear her mind and made her way to the tavern where she often saw one of the other cupids. However, when she opened the door, there were no other angels. Humans and monsters took a quick look at her before returning to their conversation. She asked for a Grand Noah wine and sat herself in a corner in an attempt to relax, regularly taking sips of her drink. Disappointed by the absence of her usual friend, she leaned back on her chair and sighed, her long white hair cascading in her back as she closed her eyes.

"Is this place free?"

Vale jumped up, startled by the honeyed voice. She invited her interlocutor to sit, and looked at her after the latter removed her hood. She already regretted having invited the succubus to the table as she felt the latter's red eyes bore through her mind. The latter giggled.

"Do you like what you see?"

"N-No! This is ridiculous!" She snarled. A second later, guilt sank in as she regretted her harsh words. Treating the succubus like a sex-crazed fiend when she simply showed up cordially wasn't a good way to strike the conversation, and, even worse, she could decide to take care of the valkyrie.

"Sorry..."

"It's okay… It looks like you have a lot on your mind."

"Well…"

The valkyrie spilled everything. She didn't know why, but there was something in that succubus that made her feel at ease, as if she was a big sister to whom she could confide. She didn't have quite the majesty of the Goddess, but she had that magnetic aura that pushed one to fully entrust themselves to her.

"I see…" The succubus offered a gentle smile. "You know… Maybe I can help you with this."

"Really? Because you have quite a sulfurous reputation as…" She felt her face turn red. "I-I mean if you guarantee that you won't do anything inappropriate to me, I'll accept."

Lilith raised her hand. "I solemnly swear I won't do anything untoward to you… As long as you don't want to."

"V-very well then. I'll follow you." The valkyrie got up and followed the succubus as the latter was slowly strolling through the streets. She was hypnotized by her swaying hips, and slapped herself to clear her mind.

Focus! You never were interested in that in the first place! Why right now? And why with a succubus, of all people around?! Those royal guards looked nice in the first place.

As she tried to distract herself, she almost stumbled into the succubus who had stopped in front of the necromancer's shop. Before the valkyrie could voice her question, she was told that she was an old friend of Chrome and had been welcomed temporarily.

Vale felt slightly worried when the succubus locked the door once they were both inside. She had already visited the shop itself, and without anyone else around, the ambiance was oppressive.

"Now, now… Please relax, I only wanted to discuss those little problems of your in a private place. Let us start with that power incontinence…"

Lilith was reveling in the valkyrie's attention. The latter was completely hanging to every one of her words.

"We… Might have an easy solution that has never been tested on angels. Now, I would lie if I said if it was without risk… However, it is an easily accessible one, and if it work, none of you would have to be concerned with the fear of your own mortality again. And if it doesn't… I will make sure that your sacrifice won't be in vain…"

Lilith stepped closer. The valkyrie was frozen in a mix of apprehension and desire. She had her mark exactly where she wanted. She closed the distance between her and her target, and dealt the killing blow in a whisper.

"…That, and the last moments of your life would be the most pleasurable ones you would ever experience..."

When Lilith moved away from the valkyrie, she could tell that her plan had worked perfectly fine. "In exchange, we will need your help for a little something. Oh, don't worry, it's nothing like THAT, but an angel like you could definitively give us a hand… Are you interested?"

The valkyrie nodded frenetically. "Yes! Please! I'll do anything you want! Just help me!"

Lilith giggled.

"Good… You might not be enough though… You don't happen to have a few friends that could help us?"

The valkyrie nodded frantically.

A room above them, Minagi was smiling. Lilith had just done a pretty great job, the little influence she had on the mind of the valkyrie would certainly wash off before they executed the next step of their plan, and her own little handiwork would be discreet enough. The current step of her plan was perfectly complete. Now, onto the next one.

She produced an observation orb. The same she had used not so long ago to observe the hero before trapping him. She started scanning the city until she found what she wanted.

"Here they are… Not so subtle."

She eventually stopped herself when she found a darkly lit assembly of disguised men and women.

"Afraid that the big bad monsters will eat you? I will show you how wrong you are..."

She chuckled darkly as she started eavesdropping on their conversation.

In one of the basement of San Ilia's numerous churches, a large group had gathered in a dark, damp room only illuminated by torches. Around fifty people were standing in a large circle, their identities concealed by hoods and blank masks while their bodies were covered by white, simple robes. They were discussing with each others, spewing their hatred about monsters when someone else entered into the room. The newcomer was dressed in the same way, but his clothes were looking way richer: His robe was adorned with holy symbols, his mask was made of gold and showed a judgmental expression, and feathery ornaments were present on the side of his head and of his robe to look like wings when he spread his arms.

"Brothers!" His voice was a cavernous echo. "It is destiny that reunited us today in this place! For years, we have endured the presence of monsters! For years, our fellows heroically sacrificed themselves to protect us from the dark, monstrous tide that threatened us! And now, that weak San Ilia King has decreed that they shall be our ally! That those parodies calling themselves angels of the Goddess should be given a chance to live on our side! But I say… No more!" He raised both of his arms, and the feathers on his dress spread to look like wings. "I was personally blessed by the goddess and given divine powers to stand against monsters! I shall guide humanity to a new golden age, free of the oppression of monsters!"

Everybody in the room cheered.

"And we will act soon! A few weeks from now on, on the day of the birthday of Ilias, we will reveal ourselves and jump into action! The silent majority will join us, and soon humanity will exploit its full strength to kick monsters out of this world once and for all!"

Cheers echoed once again, but were way less intense than the first time. The leader's shoulders slumped, before he continued with an inquisitive tone.

"What is it, brothers? Are you not enthusiastic?" He made a few steps before stopping in front of someone. "Tell me! Tell me why you don't want to rise against monsters and have humanity return to its rightful place?!"

Even if the targeted man's body was concealed, everybody could tell he was sweating heavily.

"There… There are a lot of monsters and we're not that numerous… What guarantee us that everybody will rise when time comes?"

"I know they will. Between men loyal to Ilias and those that hate monsters, and with all the women sick of losing husbands, fathers and sons to a monster's lust, our support is assured."

"…Then why isn't there any women there tonight? I mean… If you're right, I would have expected to hear at least one or two of them."

"And what if they were already corrupted and ready to turn into monsters? We would have been discovered! Our plans would have been brought to the eye of the Monster Lord! We couldn't affort the risk… This is why I decided to keep them out. It is the will of Ilias!"

A few people awkwardly looked at each other, having noticed the flaws in the logic of their leader's speech.

"I can smell your fear… But don't worry! For I know that every soul loyal to Ilias will join us! And all of us will be rewarded the day she returns!"

The assembly fell silent again. The leader knew that it would only be a moment before someone asked the question everybody was waiting for.

"Then what are we going to do exactly?"

"Our plan is simple. We will place a bomb near the castle at night to damage an unoccupied wing, and we will frame that damnable succubus necromancer by placing some of her old tools near it. Once one of the most trusted monsters will be blamed for a crime, the other will soon follow and population will turn against them!"

Once again, the cheering was extremely limited. Several people clapped, but their moves were guided by fear of reprisals rather than pure support.

"I feel a certain lack of support from some people… Why would that be I wonder?" The leader pointed at someone. "You! Tell me!"

The man raised his hands. "I support you! I fully support you! It's just that monsters are so evil, we don't even need to do that kind of operation to expose their true nature! ...Right?"

The leader sneered.

"Unfortunately, a few months ago, you would have been right. Anybody who would go out of the city would get attacked by monsters and raped, and people were legitimately wary of them. However, with the high number of friendly monsters in town rising, people let their guards down, forgetting that those same monsters would have treated them as food a few months earlier! We cannot tolerate them now, can we?"

The leader noticed a whisper between two people.

"I hear you! Do you really think that monsters really want to better themselves? After what happened in Grangold? I know what happened there! They said that monster was an ancient evil which seal broke off after time! But I know better! We all do! This was a set up! This monster only existed to have every attention turned toward the hero acting as a goon of the Monster Lord, and with him saving the city, the population would be grateful! We are told that said monster had been imprisoned, but we know that she's currently likely resting and feasting in her master's castle! And it is our duty to stop that! Don't you agree?!"

This time everybody nodded and cheered. The leader spent a little more time haranguing his fellows before the group scattered under the cover of the night.

Minagi cut the connection. This… Would require a more careful approach than what she had initially planned. Having humans stand up to her was one thing she tolerated, even enjoyed. That particular one however… She tapped her chin lost in thoughts. What would Tamamo do… She noticed Lilith patiently waiting at the entrance of her room.

"Mother? We have two nice presents from Hiruko waiting. What should we do?"

"Is one of them Dominion Endiel?"

Lilith nodded.

"Perfect. Everything is indeed going according to plan. Bring the one that calls herself the Angel Whore here. Feel free to play with the other one."

"As your wish." Lilith bowed and left. A few seconds later, she came back accompanied by an angel with white hair and red eyes, wearing only a short purple nightgown and assorted panties that revealed both her legs and her stomach. Minagi could hear the angel's heart thump in a panic, and her expression was a downturn of fear.

"Leave us alone. We have to discuss."

Lilith bowed and left the room. The angel remained frozen in fear, something that was starting to displease the Ancestor.

"Relax, I won't bite you… I only wanted to have a small conversation with you, from one assumed whore to another."

"W-what do you want from me?"

"I have a project of mine that could interest you, and wanted to see if you had the skills required to help me bring it to life. I wanted to kill two birds with one stone by getting a taste of them."

Endiel gulped loudly. Minagi moaned excessively loudly as she stretched herself.

"Aren't you interested at all? I would help you find a nice, fitting place in this world."

The angel attempted to look threateningly at the succubus, but soon gave up. There was no point in attempting a trick like that. It would only make her situation worse.

"What is the catch? Why a monster like you would help an angel?"

Minagi chuckled. "You're quite perceptive, aren't you? The catch is that I am a bit hungry, and while I won't quite drain you to your death, you will probably pass out in throes of pleasure… But isn't it what you live for, after all?"

Endiel was forced to concede the point. Her outfit disappeared, and a purple tent formed around her, its floor looking like it was made of comfortable feathers.

"…Come in then. I will do my best."

Minagi crawled in Endiel's tent. "I knew you would see reason." She lied down and took a lascivious pose. "Please, take care of me."

The angel initially still felt afraid, but as the succubus crawled in her tent, she felt a wave of confidence sweep through her. She did always take pride in her work as the Angel Whore, and the succubus was just another partner, after all.

A small hour later, Minagi sighed with a satisfied expression. She understood why her sister was so much one for intrigues. The thrill of weaving a web with words alone to entrap her enemies and make allies was almost as elating as the hunt for a prey and the feeling of sucking their energy in a passionate session. She could now get to work on that valkyrie with her mind clear. The only problem remaining now was that whole True Faith movement. She restarted her observation, and easily found the leader of the cult. A devilish smile appeared on Minagi's face when she saw who he was in a deep discussion with.

"Neat little trick there… Thank you for showing me. I'm sure this will be very useful…"

In the San Ilia castle, the pope was busy writing a letter when he was shaken by another coughing fit. He sighed. Small contrarieties after small contrarieties were piling up, and, as time passed by, it was clear he would be forced to heap some of them on his successor. Something that he definitively didn't wish to do. The price for blindingly following the will of Ilias in the past was steep…

As soon as he put the final point on the letter, he rang a small bell on the side of his desk. As he waited, he folded the paper and placed it in an envelope, before sealing it with wax and marking it with his own crest. A minute later, a servant arrived and bowed.

"Please, take this letter and make sure it reaches the hero Luka."

"Certainly sir. Will you take your dinner here as well?"

"Yes please. Something filling for tonight. I have some work that needs to be finished by tomorrow, for the Birthday of Ilias."

"As you wish your highness."

After a meal consisting of chicken and vegetables, the king got up from his desk in another coughing fit. He groaned and tapped his chest. His health wasn't getting any better. He checked himself into a large mirror. Since his near-death experience at the hands of that chimera during the war against Ilias, he had gained several wrinkles all over his body. His eyes, in particular, always had visible bags under them. This time of crisis had taken a lot from him, even if he had then received a lot of support from groups he didn't even consider. Fairies and ghosts had saved him when an angel had been sent to kill his ministers. His world had been thrown upside down twice in a short span, as the sight of the Goddess Sword being broken already had made a number on his mind.

Then the last months hadn't been peaceful either. Between the myriad of small conflicts involving angels and the still persistent attacks of monsters… Those were apparently enough reason for that True Faith movement to start and grow. He should have taken care of the concern of those people, but only a few of his words managed to reach them. Then there was that reunion and the warning about those Six Ancestors… His hope now relied on the hero Luka once again. If only other younger people stepped up. In his time, heroes would rise even if they were unbaptized...

The king chuckled at his image. "Look at you, old man… Talking to yourself, rambling about young'uns."

He then proceeded to grab a few books from a stacked shelf. All counted the tales of the same hero, whose name had curiously never been written down. The first book was the version written by a church-sanctioned scribe that had accompanied him on his adventures, and painted the man in a positive light. The second had been written by an historian, who had gathered more information, and, as hindsight on the hero's action was more prevalent, described him as morally grey by necessity. And the third one was a gift from an exchange with the Monster Lord's Castle, and had been written by a kitsune who had spied on him. There, the man was seen as barely more than a bully who had killed younger monsters under the motive that they could be a threat for the future. Sometimes, the book even read like a diatribe.

The king was shaken by another coughing fit, and slowly took a sip from a glass of water. At least, his hands were still working fine. From those three books, which was the closest to the truth? It was tempting to take the one from the historian, as it was the closest to the average of the three, but the scholar himself had interviewed several other people that had dealt with the hero, and only a very few of them had positive things to say about him. If by the end, his words sounded reasonable, several passages brought in a clearly biased, even violent point of view.

Time passed, and he was now only illuminated by a few candles and chandeliers, carefully comparing the content of the different books. The reality was more complex than it seemed… A small handmade clock on his desk was softly ticking every second, its noise accompanying the San Ilia King when he didn't have one of his coughing fit. Eventually, a soft ringing informed him that it was midnight. The king sighed.

"You are quite punctual."

A sensuous voice answered him. "Did you know I was here, or was it just a lucky guess?"

The king steadied himself and turned back with a smirk. When he saw Minagi step out of the shadow, he felt his heart skip a beat. Even after spending so much time preparing himself, he couldn't deny the incredible beauty and aura of lust pouring from the succubus. No matter how much time would pass and how hard they trained, nobody could truly be ready to meet her. He focused his breathing to calm himself.

"It was an educated guess. That little kitsune told me that I would either be the first of the last of your target."

She slowly walked closer, sensually swinging her hips while her ribbon moved like a snake around her body. "And what else did she tell you?"

The king frowned. "That you would devour entire cities to sate your lust and would certainly attack this castle to get your hand on its resident angels. Hence why she deployed wards that were apparently not quite effective enough to keep you away."

Minagi giggled. "Oh, I wouldn't pin that blame on her. I made a lot of progress since last time she saw me, and got quite ressourceful..."

In the blink of an eye, the Ancestor was behind the king, her mouth barely an inch from his ear while her hands were massaging his still robed shoulders.

"Before we get to the interesting part, I have a question for you… Why did you decide to join the Faith in Ilias?"

Even as he felt wave of pleasures spread from every place that was in contact with the succubus, the king managed to remain steady as he answered. "Well… I was always attracted by her commandments of loving your fellows… And besides, at the time, the message that monsters were the only evil existing was so often drilled in our head that we didn't look elsewhere. I felt the need to search for her support and approval. She was the beacon of light in an ocean of darkness that wanted to swallow us all… Then I discovered how wrong she was."

"You satisfied my curiosity, but… Is it an honest answer?"

"Why would I lie now?"

The king felt the soft pressure on his shoulder disappear. His attention was instantly attracted to Minagi who was now lying on his bed in a lascivious pose.

"Then come prove it. Come prove that you cast aside aaaall those commandments of Ilias against monsters. Come prove that you were attracted to her desire to share love."

"If I may… Can you only take care of me and spare the others?"

The succubus giggled. "Do you really think you are in a position to bargain?"

The king frowned. "It is merely a request to be considered. If you are so much one for sharing love instead of destruction while everything show the opposite, then you're no different from the goddess you seems to spite so much."

"…You do realize that it means I will take every second of the night to torment you?" A salacious smile appeared on her lips. "Or maybe it was your intent all along?"

The king managed to give out an enigmatic smile, even as he felt his body sweating from desire. "And what of it?"

Minagi sighed exaggeratedly as she stretched.

"…Very well. You will be my only center of attention for tonight." She extended an arm toward him while licking her lips. "Now… Get rid of all those clothes and join me."

The old pope obliged.