"Tamamo… Please… I beg you… No more…"

"Oh, come on! I thought you were tougher than that! You are the Monster Lord and the descendant of the Dark Goddess!"

"It's… Too much… I can't keep up."

Luka gulped as he looked at Alice. "It's… Terrifying. I don't know if I'll ever be able to face anything like that."

"Then spare a thought for me! It was my daily work for a long time!"

Alice groaned and wallowed on the table that was bending under different piles of paper and parchments. When Tamamo had brought her to the library to show her the pile of work she'd have to give a hand to complete as punishment, Alice considered it a joke at first… But when she asked, she got the confirmation that the kitsune was indeed serious: Her punishment was to deal with the administrative work that had accumulated for the last few months as a result of the crisis created by the Ancestors.

"Sorry, I'm exaggerating a bit on the volume of work… We do have to deal with both a crisis aftermath and the proper rebuild of Remina, which includes the migration of a large number of monsters and humans as well as basic ressources imports. That is bound to create paperwork."

Alice sighed and took another paper. Indeed, it was a damage report likely done by one of Tamamo's kitsunes after she examined Remina. She had done an estimation of the work required to rebuild the key structures. The Monster Lord grimaced when she saw the estimated bill.

"But yes, like it or not, this mind-boggling task is part of a leader's work, and as thankless as it can appear, it's one of the fundamental." Tamamo herself was answering messages sent by the different ministers from the human kingdoms who were asking for more details about their plans for the city.

"And that… A bill asking for forty thousand gold coins from… Tamamo! Why are your kitsunes asking for money?!"

"Well, they did repair the damage done by the fighting with the Ancestors, and then they worked with the local governments to improve our relations afterward… As loyal as my poor little daughters are too you, they could use as much rest as any of us."

"There's no way I'm paying that much! They'll have to be content with serving me!" Alice discarded the paper, which Tamamo caught effortlessly as it flew across the table.

"What lesson did I give you not so long ago back in Remina?" Tamamo smiled devilishly. "You don't want some salacious rumors spreading around or, even worse, those supplies of dangos to stop, do you?"

Alice pouted and extended her arm. "I'll sign it. Sorry."

As his wife continued fooling around, Luka raised an eyebrow. "Those kitsunes of your are so powerful? That's the first time I hear about their work…"

"That's because there's not much to say about what they're doing. They're making sure our relations run smoothly on every level with the different factions to keep peace going, or, barring that, warn us of any rising tension."

"What she means is that they're spying , bribing and sleeping around to make sure we can ask for the right favor at the right moment. Those damn foxes know how to push the right button."

Tamamo glared at Alice, who was now reading another bill.

"First, it is a necessity to have a good information network, second, you're reaping the benefit from it yourself, and third, there are not only kitsunes in my teams."

"That's not what this bill says."

"Gimme." Tamamo almost tore apart the sheet of paper from her hand and muttered under her breath as she looked at it. After a minute, she screamed.

"AAAH, it's that damn tanuki queen again! She's trying to profit from the reconstruction we did by trying to rip us off on the material! GRRRR!"

Tamamo shredded the paper in a storm of confetti that rained down on the ground.

"And this is why you check your work when you have a doubt." Alice regrouped a large pack of papers and slowly breathed out. "We now have most of the info about how much rebuilding Remina will cost us, and we only need to do the math."

Luka took a peek above her shoulder.

"Three hundred fifty-seven thousand and two hundred forty eight gold to rebuild the key structures and the accommodation for each additional resident after the first five hundred would cost us seven hundred and forty-eight gold.

"What?"

"What?"

"It's the cost I calculated." Luka moved back slightly, awkwardly blushing.

Tamamo joined Alice's side and supported the Monster Lord with an abacus as the latter frantically checked the numbers. A few minutes later, the two had come to the same conclusion.

"It's… He's entirely right. And you got that with just a glimpse at the numbers? How?!"

"I just did the maths." Tamamo and Alice stared at each other for an instant.

"Bring him the account ledger."

"Which year?"

"All of them!"

Not before long, Luka was browsing through a series of thick volumes brought by one of the book-like monsters.

"This will take more time, there's a lot of information."

"Well, if we have an estimation of the total amount of gold stolen by adventurers and monsters by the end of the year…"

"Four million seventy thousand and four hundred gold from the reserves directly and two millions seven hundred thousand and three hundred forty eight from equipment, but I have a doubt about the last part… the value of meteorite equipment recorded isn't always the same for each year, and sometimes it apparently randomly decreases."

Tamamo and Alice completely froze. After a moment, the kitsune started hyperventilating and pulled out her fan to refresh herself.

"Someone note that down… I think we all need a break. And a cup of tea."

"Agreed."

Luka awkwardly shuffled to a chair as both monsters sat on one of the couch, apparently shell-shocked.

"I think we might need to make sure your fights against the Ancestors haven't left any hidden sequalae."

"I feel fine."

"That's why they're called hidden, you idiot. By the way, maybe we should check on Lilith in Succubus Village. I want to know how she and Alma are doing, since we didn't check on them for quite a long time."

"Good idea. Besides, it would take our mind off the paperwork… Now steady up, you might not like what you're going to see."

Tamamo brought up an orb that started glowing. After an instant, an image appeared at its center, and the trio grimaced.

"I thought this was supposed to take our mind off our work?"

Lilith was herself sitting at a table with Alma Elma and Witch, the succubus soothsayer, reading different reports about the recent changes operating in the Gold Region: The arachne clan was trying to build peaceful relationships and Granberia, the Heavenly Knight of fire, was acting as a local enforcer to make sure relations went smoothly. Apparently, her presence hadn't been needed so far, but the human population appreciated her presence as a gesture from the Monster Lord. The succubus herself hesitated to send someone as a gesture of good will as well, but… she could still hear Morrigan sneer outside.

"Come on! Are you going to lose like that? Try harder!"

Followed a series of moans informing her that her sister was thoroughly indulging herself in public, basic decency be damned. This was currently the first thing people discovering Succubus Village saw, and if the ever rising number of visitors or permanent resident was any indication, they were more than fine with it themselves.

"We're going to need to build more housing…"

Lilith stretched herself backward and moaned, shivering. A second later, a muffled stumbling sound echoed from under the table she was working on.

"My apologies, that was one too many."

Her tail pulled an unconscious man from under the table. Her victim was barely covered, his tongue loosely hanging from his mouth even as an ecstatic expression covered his face. She grabbed him, and gently carried him away to a bed to let him recover before she returned to the sight of Alma Elma checking a few reports.

"I sincerely appreciate your help, but you should feel free to go anytime you need. I'm the one who accepted to shoulder responsibility for this village."

"Maybe… But I also have a responsibility as the Succubus Queen."

"This didn't stop those little twins from going on a trip to binge on the pleasure of the world, did it?" Lilith corrected herself as she sounded more sarcastic than she intended. "My apologies. That was rude of me. You're showing a lot of good will by helping me after all. However I am worried for Astaroth… I can't feel her because of her seal, she's been unusually aggressive, and she threw herself in a world she's unfamiliar with."

"Since you have an innate connection with her, maybe I can help you with a spell…"

"This seal blocks our link. No offense, but I am not sure a spell cast by a reasonably powerful mage like you will be enough to override a seal made to seal something as powerful."

Witch shrugged. "It doesn't cost anything to try."

Lilith decided to humor the soothsayer. As the latter left to prepare a few components, Alma Elma stretched herself.

"Do you want me to bring her back once we found her? I promise I won't harm her."

"No. I just want to make sure she's fine. A few years of wandering the world apparently did wonder for little Tamamo, I'm sure I will get back my cute reliable sister once she feels better." Lilith sighed. "I miss the reliable sister that accompanied me in the past... I could have sent her as an envoy from Succubus Village my eyes closed."

"Why not Morrigan? I mean she's still your cute little sister."

Lilith remained silent, and Alma Elma heard the blue-haired succubus sadistically outside again.

"Oooh, do you think you can cover me with only that much? Give me more!"

Lilith sighed. "She improved a lot. In her past days, she used to kill them. She didn't reduce anyone to a dry fish. Yet."

Witch came back holding a few parchments that she laid down in front of the two succubi.

"There… If we combine a long range-vision with a personal hex, and if you're that close to your sister, you may even experience what she's going through."

Lilith closed her eyes and channeled the spell through herself. At first, she only felt the disturbing experience of her senses being shut off one by one, completely cutting her from the world. She felt passably rattled as the ordeal made her vulnerable, even if she was surrounded by supposedly friendly monsters. Still, she kept pushing through, simply wanting to know if her sister was in danger.

After a moment, her nose picked up something again. At first, she thought that the spell had failed, then she realized that the smell that she was picking up didn't match her current surroundings: Undecipherable, too mixed, a far cry from the smell of forbidden pleasures that permeated Succubus Village. There also was a lot of noise mixing… People shouting, discussing, screaming, Astaroth's own heartbeat and breathing… As time passed by, her senses became keener, and she became fully aware of her sister's surroundings, even if she didn't see through her own eyes. Smells became possible to distinguish and sort, and shouts became words that she could understand. Using her sense of deduction, she could accurately calculate what her sister was even doing.

Of course she would be there…

Astaroth was slowly strolling through the streets of Grand Noah, enjoying the male attention centered on her proudly displayed chest even as a few outraged mothers passing by hid the eyes of their innocent children. She was, however, a bit disappointed to see that she got only slightly more attention than most monsters, and nobody apparently feared her or showed her more respect than any other succubus. Well, that was bound to change soon… She would make sure of it.

She smiled as she arrived in sight of the colosseum. Finally seeing the arena by itself was a bit underwhelming, but it was incomparable to the joy she experienced of being fully free... If her sisters was with her and if she had her seal removed.

Focus. You did this to challenge yourself. How far can I go with only so little of my power? I'm sure I'll manage to still beat most of these weaklings…

As she got closer, a mix of delicious smells reached her nostrils, and she decided to take a break at one of the open shop near the entrance of the arena as the dangling fried meat made her salivate. As she looked at the inside of the shop, she could also see small cakes that called to her sweet tooth, and the man preparing them had quite a well-sculpted body too. The seller noticed her, and only stared for the shortest moment before gathering his composure.

"And what will it be for you, lady?"

"Oh, I'll have one of those with a cute little dessert…"

"Great, that will be five gold."

Astaroth leaned forward while licking her lips.

"How about an additional service instead?"

The man's expression froze in a grimace.

"I'm married. I'll pass and just ask for five gold again."

"Come on! I'm a legendary succubus! You can only dream of the pleasure I would give you!"

"And once again, I'll pass, so if you would kindly pay…"

Astaroth rolled up her nose in a pout of displeasure, but relented. She brought up a small pouch of gold and paid the man, disappointed by the lack of response brought on by her charms. She thoroughly enjoyed her meal, and made her way to the counter where fighters signed up. She gauged the other people coming through. An elven amazoness was discussing with a dullahan, another succubus was signing and several men were also present. If their lecherous look was any indication, they hadn't signed up for a fight.

"Damn it, not you again!"

"Mmh? Do I know you?"

Astaroth looked haugtily at the succubus that had called out to her. The latter looked absolutely furious.

"You can't even get satisfied with ruining my life back in Succubus Village! You had to come chase me here and keep ruining my life."

"Oh, I remember you know… Didn't you originally leave for Grangold?"

The succubus screamed. "There's not a single idiot there interested to get it on with me! All of them either already left to Succubus Village or are fine with the spiders and automatas there! I had to move out again, and even in this damn city there's so much competition I have to fight in the colosseum to have a chance to score myself someone!"

Astaroth answered the diatribe with a mocking laugh. "Oh, I can give you a second round if that's what you want!"

"Please, ladies, keep it to the arena."

Both succubi glared at the man behind the counter, but when the latter back off, they eventually calmed down.

"Without your sisters to cover your ass, I will have my revenge!"

"Oh, please, dream on, I'll beat you in a heartbeat."

Astaroth smiled, satisfied with herself even as the other succubus left in a huff. However, after a moment, she regretted slightly her behavior.

I sounded a little too much like Morrigan… Lilith was right, I'd better watch myself…

An hour later, Astaroth was completely dominating the succubus in the arena in a one-sided fight. The latter was bent over in two, holding her stomach after a series of rapid blows knocked the wind out of her while the red-haired succubus was nonchalantly walking around the arena, haughtily looking at her victim.

"You still don't stand a chance, do you? You're still inferior to me in every way… People flocked to me because your sexual skills are inferior, and your martial skills are non-existant. Now… Goodbye."

Astaroth kicked her opponent straight in the stomach, sending the succubus stumbling around and down for the count. The announcer declared her victory only under timid applauses, which surprised the Lilith Sister who expected more recognition for this fight. Even when she came back to face her next opponent, the public only gave her a lukewarm reception.

"Next opponent… Markus the wanderer!"

On the other end of the arena, a man entered and waved around. Astaroth pouted as she recognized one of the pervert she saw earlier. He didn't even attempt to raise his weapons, and the succubus was already annoyed by his perverted smile.

"Sooo, you comin' on me?"

Astaroth answered with a tense smile and cracked her knuckles. "Only if you can warm me up first. The more you entertain me, the better the reward… How does that sound?"

The man groaned. "Come on! I came here to get a good succ! Not to fight!"

"But I did…" She licked her lips and assumed a martial artist stance, leaning forward. "So bring it on!"

When she saw her opponent unsheathe a two-handed sword by almost dropping it on the ground, she inwardly sighed: The man looked all-talk, and seemed to compensate for a little something. He charged her with a powerful cry, and she easily avoided his clumsy attack by stepping on the side and back-handed him in his temple, stunning him. She then effortlessly swept his feet, and the man ended unconscious on the ground. Disappointed, she turned herself away from his defenseless form, ignoring the public screaming its desire to see him raped.

After a minute, as it was clear the match was over and that she wouldn't do anything more to her opponent, the announcer declared the succubus victorious, and she left under disappointed jeers.

She came back for another fight a few minutes later, and this time, she was facing the elven amazoness she saw earlier. Another easy victory in sight…

Her opponent readied up a spear that she magically transformed into a bow and started raining arrows on the succubus at a supernatural speed. Astaroth charged the elf while dodging the projectiles in an impressive dance, and, once she was within reach, the elf transformed her weapon again into a spear. She managed to parry the first strike of the succubus just in time, but she took a punch straight in the stomach right afterward. Astaroth followed up with another punch in the temple, then she attempted to sweep her opponent. However, the elf held fast, and struck back the succubus with her spear, throwing her back.

Surprised, Astaroth groaned and glared at the elf before grinning fiendishly. She could as well join the insult to the injury and get close and personal… The elf once again started to shot at her with her bow, and Astaroth nonchalantly dodged the arrows like so many annoying flies. One of the projectiles suddenly split in a rain of smaller shards that exploded around her, stunning her and kicking up a dust cloud. As soon as she recovered, she cleared the cloud with a flap from her wings, but the elf was already on top of her, her weapon ready to strike. Astaroth managed to block the strike with her forearms, but she fell under the power of the attack. She threw one of her arm between the legs of the amazoness who exclaimed herself in surprise before she kicked the succubus away.

"You depraved fiend! You only think about violating everyone!"

As the amazoness charged, Astaroth summoned a gust of wind that barely managed to slow down her opponent. She then dodged the bladed tip of the elven spear, but failed to notice that the elf was using the momentum of the other end of her spear to sweep her of her feet. Surprised, Astaroth stumbled and fell flat on her back. Before she could get up, her opponent hit her in the temple, knocking the succubus out for the count.

Astaroth woke up in a small bed with a terrible headache. When she looked around her, she saw an alraune preparing different mixtures which were lined up on a shelf.

"I lost?"

The alraune nodded. "You ended up knocked unconscious by San. You're quite a tough one, most of her opponents need several days to come around and get up."

"I lost…"

"It remained a beautiful fight on a technical level, even if both of you proved unpopular." The alraune applied a balm on Astaroth's forehead, even as the succubus was staring off into space. "People got quite surprised when you refused to have your way with that man… As disgusting as it is, this is what a lot of them came to see."

"I…" Astaroth felt her head ache again and nearly hurled. "I didn't feel in the mood. I wanted a good fight, and if they don't give me one, I won't give them what they want."

The alraune sighed. "I understand where you come from, however sex shows are what make one popular in the colosseum. And the more popular you are, the more chance you will be given to rise… Even if in your case, you would need training first. You are fully healed."

Astaroth felt bile rise as well as the desire to wreck the alraune take over her. However, she calmed herself in time and was forced to acknowledge that her interlocutor's words were true: Even with so little of her power available, she should have been able to take down the elf quite easily… And yet, she let herself get overconfident and paid the price.

"I'll remember it."

The succubus unsteadily got up and left the colosseum's infirmary to stroll in the streets of Grand Noah. Her ears caught a few occasional conversations around her, and people didn't sound quite impressed with her performance in the colosseum. She only got a few sidelong glances, a far cry from the praise and acknowledgment she expected.

But still… I'll be damned if I lower myself to the level of one of those perverts!

She strolled a little more again before her primal hunger for essence kicked in. Meals were available all around her, and she had no doubt that simply asking someone who didn't carry a partner's smell would be enough, but she wanted something more… Preferably, someone who would slake her thirst for battle as well as he resisted her. The hero was out of the question, but there was another man who would do just fine…

"As of now, it looks like those vampires have settled down… Their advertising campaign has been less proactive."

The king of Sabasa groaned as he acknowledged the words of his minister. After they had attacked and failed to conquer Sabasa during the war against Ilias, the vampires had created a pub as "another way to conquer the world." He initially feared that his garrison would have their hands full as the inhabitants would attempt to take revenge against those that had attacked them not so long ago. And indeed, there had been a few conflicts… But not from where he expected.

"Luckily, they seem to have make peace with the mermaids, if only on the surface." Samson, a strong, bearded man who was the commander of Sabasa's army, all but confirmed what the king remembered. "It's for the better, considering how dangerous their competition has been."

"You're referring to the red flood incident?"

Samson nodded. As the popularity of the vampire grew, the mermaid pub lost a few customers, and when the mermaids accused the vampires of brainwashing the population with their magical eyes and bloodletting, the latter group answered that what the mermaids were doing with their songs wasn't any different. The conflict escalated in the city until several streets ended up flooded under several feet of conjured water. The extensive reparation had taken a lot of time.

"It did roughly the same damage as that damn Ancestor…"

"Maybe, but the attack from the Ancestor was worse as she forced herself upon his highness and-"

The king raised his hand to stop the incoming diatribe. "I will remind you that those vampires did attempt to do the same. She just happened to be successful. I wish to move on, and I do not want to hear about either again."

The minister sheepishly looked down.

"Samson, if you would please conclude with your latest report about the population at large."

Samson shrugged. "Everyone settled back in their daily lives, there hasn't been a rise of anti-monster resentment as we feared. Probably thanks to those monster-managed pubs and the fast response of the Monster Lord's servants."

"In that case… This court is dismissed. I wish you well."

Samson got up and started patrolling the castle, his mind wandering on the latest events. He had been unable to protect the king during those last months, and even if the latter reassured him that he himself hadn't been able to stand against the opponents that had taken him down, Samson had felt inadequate none the less. He sighed. There were either no dangers, or they took the form of an enemy too powerful for him.

His attention was attracted by a sudden commotion in one of the closer wings. He swore under his breath: How could an assailant be so far in the castle without alarming any other guard on his way in? He rushed through the hallway to arrive in front of a scene of chaos: Several guards were knocked down around a red-haired succubus who was trying to punch her way through the group.

"Come on! I just want to see the king for myself! I'm sure he'll appreciate my company! …Oh, fine, you'll make nice appetizers anyway."

Without hesitating, Samson readied a large battle hammer and charged headfirst into the fray, ready to strike down the intruder. The succubus parried his first attack just in time with her forearm and countered with a punch straight in his face. Samson took the hit without flinching and continued attacking her while she was simultaneously moving around to avoid being surrounded. Additional reinforcement kept pouring in, and while Astaroth managed to keep her opponents at bay and occasionally incapacitate one or the other, she had to remain fully focused to stand against Sabasa's guards.

"Damn, I'm really getting forced back by humans! Tch! I'll come back later I guess."

A wave of pleasure magic swept through the hallway, and Samson saw most of his allies collapse while he himself stumbled a bit in front of the overwhelming pleasure. Even then, he managed to remain focused enough to catch the succubus straight in the chest with a powerful swing when she passed by him in an attempt to escape. The succubus yelped in surprise, and prepared a counter-attack that was interrupted by another guard that stabbed her with his spear from behind. While the strike was barely enough to draw blood, it was sufficient to surprise the succubus who turned around in the blink of an eye and punched the offender down. Samson exploited this moment of inattention by sweeping of her feet, and slamming his hammer full strength on her body just after she fell down.

He steadied his breathing and checked on Astaroth. The succubus' eyes were only dimly opened, and she was having difficulty breathing even as Samson and his soldiers surrounded her, ready to strike should she attempt to move. She only managed to mutter to herself.

"I lost… to humans… hehehehe…"

The soldiers moved back, crept out by her laughter.

"What should we do with her."

"Rape me… Kill me… Eat me… It doesn't matter… I lost again and again."

Everyone looked at each other, confused. While Samson couldn't deny the beauty and the tempting exposed flesh of the succubus, he also knew that trying anything with her could end very badly. Eventually, before they could come to a decision, an imperious feminine voice echoed from behind.

"I will take care of her. Return to your duty."

Samson turned and bowed respectfully. "Very well, your highness."

"Hehehehe… Finish me pleaaase…"

Astaroth fully emerged from her attack an undetermined amount of time later to see the impressively large form of Sphinx gazing condescendingly at her. She checked around her, and as she noticed a complete absence of windows while most rooms were closed by metallic doors, she came to the conclusion that they were in the castle's prison.

"Sooo, you brought me here to end me far from anyone's sight I suppose?"

"This world where every single victor eat the defeated stopped existing long ago in case you failed to notice. I'm not a wild monster looking for their next meal."

"Really?" Astaroth painfully sat herself, her legs crossed. "Then what are you doing alone, isolated in the jails of the castle of Sabasa?"

"I enjoy the tranquility of this place. It reminds me of the pyramid… I want to travel the world and work more with my descendants, but I lived in the pyramid only accompanied by a few monsters for so long that I nearly forgot how to socialize and travel. And as it is, I'm currently not alone."

She made a few steps on the side, and Astaroth recognized the flames of Salamander. She scowled and blamed once again the seal put on by Tamamo for being surprised by the presence of the Fire Spirit. The latter was looking at her with a mix of sadness and sympathy.

"It would have been anybody else, I would have offered to train them, but I don't think I can do anything for you. Sphinx can remove that seal if you want though."

"Actually, I'm more surprised to see you here. Weren't you busy lending your power to the hero Luka and watching everything he did if you know what I mean?"

Salamander grunted. "The Ancestors settled down. Even your mother stopped acting up. I got back to training those can need my guidance."

"Huh. I'd have expected you to return to your little den in Gold Volcano and wait there for people to come."

"I had a small discussion and decided to travel a bit more. Not everybody can come to the Gold Volcano in the first place, and the Sabasa King was apparently interested… I suppose dealing with Hiruko made him want to learn to better defend himself."

"However…" Sphinx looked down, passably ashamed. "Let us accept the truth. Even with his natural skills, your support and his exceptional lineage, he will not reach that level within his lifetime. He seems fine with it, but…"

"But?"

"...I hear his footsteps, I think it's better if he explains it by himself." Sphinx's eyes narrowed as she glared at Astaroth. "If you don't behave yourself, I won't hesitate to stop you and end your existence, consequences be damned."

And indeed, a few seconds later, the king descended escorted by two guards. Astaroth couldn't help herself, and lecherously licked her lips before Sphinx whistled disapprovingly. However, she was offended when she realized that the man was checking her to get a good idea of her power rather than out of any form of desire.

"Another troublemaker… If you were so interested in meeting me, may I ask why you decided to attack us instead of directly asking for me?"

"Because it was more... exciting that way." She stood up, and got slightly closer to the king, but Sphinx's murderous intent kept her at a reasonable distance, and even coaxed her to explain herself further. "This is what I enjoy. The thrill of the fight as my prey resist me before giving in, forgetting all the pain and fear while drowning in absolute pleasure. Now… Why don't we get more thoroughly acquainted?"

The king sighed. "I see… Unfortunately for you, even if the constraints of being royalty are no longer relevant to anyone's eye, I am not interested in your kin."

"Awww, I'm pretty sure you must feel lonely since-"

The temperature suddenly dropped several degrees as Sphinx and the Sabasa King glared at the succubus. The latter stopped herself, and this time she blamed herself for being rude. She gulped loudly and bowed.

"I apologize. That was inconsiderate from me."

"Yes it was… Now, if you would excuse me."

Just as he arrived, the king and his guards silently left. A disconcerted Astaroth once again sat herself down on the cold stone floor once again, mumbling under her breath.

"Defeated again and again… By that Succubus Queen and Tamamo… Reduced to a common succubus… Disappointed my sisters… Beaten in the colosseum… Beaten by guards and turned down by a king as if I was a cheap whore… What am I actually worth?"

Sphinx shrugged. "As generic as it may sound, the worth of someone is defined by the worth people give to their actions."

"So I'm a dead weight then. Maybe I should just give up on this new world and… Live as a hermit, I don't know. Maybe people will look up to me one day if they hear about me…"

"It's pathetic."

"What?" Astaroth glared at the Fire Spirit who interrupted her moody rant and stood up. "Did you say something, you glorified burning lizard?"

Salamander remained unmoving, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "I said that it's pathetic, coming from you. You're one of the most powerful monster to exist, you're simply held back by a temporary seal, and you already decided that you could as well give up and hide in a corner entirely already?" Salamander sneered. "I had apprentices nearly die twice over and still willing to continue forward!"

"Awww, it's cute coming from the one who hides in a volcano!"

"Spare me that speech, I already heard that one from your mother. And even from there, I saw some of my trainees die, all the skills I gave them being absolutely useless!"

"Then why do you obstinate yourself?"

"Because I can help people! I live for more than just indulging myself in my own hedonism!"

Astaroth recoiled, actually surprised by her own feelings in front of Salamander's words. The Fire Spirit had hit a sensitive point as she remembered Lilith's words.

"Now, I apologize, but I have to train the king. Even if he will never be able to stand to you in your full glory, I won't disappoint him by offering him a half-assed training."

Salamander then left the duo, and Astaroth sat herself in a fetal position, bringing her knees to her face.

"I can't even get to indulge myself with the king… I'm now officially a complete failure as a succubus."

Sphinx inquisitively raised an eyebrow. "If I may ask… what exactly have you done since you've come unsealed?"

"…I told you everything a few minutes ago. Add some time either in prison or as a common whore in Succubus Village for flavor."

"I meant in more details."

Astaroth sighed heavily, then she looked at Sphinx, then at where the mark that sealed her power was concealed by her glove. If she had her power, she could walk straight out of here without breaking a sweat. Right now, however, Sphinx would swallow her in a single gulp. She gave in and explained in more details what happened, from her attack on Tamamo to the cause of her presence in Sabasa without forgetting her stay in Succubus Village, and, more than all…

"You insisted quite a lot about the colosseum in your story…"

"Even if we didn't see each other that much, you know about me… Taking a victim on the spot after a long, drawn out physical fight is everything the colosseum is about and everything I love."

"Did you consider experiencing the remainder of the world by yourself?"

Astaroth grimaced. "That world broke Lilith. Thank you, but I'll pass."

"You're not Lilith. You only have her insight on this world, maybe you should get your own yourself."

The succubus fell silent. Even if it was obvious, Sphinx had a point. First and foremost, she wouldn't be on the run… In fact, she would be free from everyone's expectation. Her only obligation was to not kill anyone."

And besides… That food in Grand Noah isn't been half-bad. Maybe I should check elsewhere.

"You're right. Maybe I'll travel a bit more…"

Sphinx solemnly nodded.

"Before that, may I invite you to dinner? It is getting quite later, after all."

The succubus accepted.

The very next day, Astaroth left Sabasa to wander, decided on finally experiencing this world changed by millennia on her own. She didn't made any particular plans, and simply contented herself with flying from city to city, enjoy the local food and inhabitants within a reasonable measure. From the small, isolated huts of Yamatai to the large merchant-laden streets of Iliasburg or the hamlet of Witch Hunt Village, the red-haired succubus appreciated every pleasure that she could, whether it was peculiar food, a wondrous sight, or a partner worthy of more attention than usual. Eventually, she came to enjoy the world for what it was. Sure, she missed the thrill of fighting angels to suck them dry, but everything else more than compensated. She was free to do as she wished, and simply having this freedom brought her a peace of mind. And while there was less pleasure in corrupting them, the sight of all those humans no longer having a single care for the religion imposed by the old hag that was Ilias was a reason alone that made this world worth enjoying.

After a while, Astaroth simply decided to return to her sisters, if only to help them. As she arrived in sight of Succubus Village at night, she recognized the silhouette of Alma Elma departing the place just as she herself arrived. She landed in front of the mayor's house like a gust of wind, and the moment her feet touched the ground she was greeted by an enthusiastic Morrigan who threw herself at her in a hug.

"Yaaaaa! Sis! We missed you! It's been so long!"

Astaroth giggled and returned the embrace. "It's been less than a month… Come on, don't tell me it was that bad in my absence."

"If this village gained a single coin each time someone asked where our middle sister was, we could build a palace." Lilith slowly stepped outside of the house, leaning on the entrance.

"And if I gained one coin each time you talked to me about her, I could buy Grangold!"

Lilith half-heartedly glared at Morrigan, but didn't make any attempt to deny what her sister just said. She focused back on Astaroth again.

"I can say that this little trip did you a lot of good… Even if I can also say that some of those lessons had been painful."

Astaroth grimaced, making her older sister chuckle haughtily.

"But I am not one to talk much in that regard, and I'm glad to see you back now more than ever. How about we continue this discussion inside? I remember you not quite having an opportunity to enjoy our newfound comfort…"

The three succubi entered the house, and Astaroth could indeed see that the insides were fitting of the Lilith Sisters. While the first floor was including a classical but luxurious living room with a kitchen and decently-filled library, the rooms upstairs were quite spacious, with luxurious, king sized-bed and incredibly thick mattresses. The floor was covered with a thick carpet, several pillows were laying around with other piece of furniture that could be used to "play", and each room had its own magically-supplied bathroom.

"I worked a little to make them more comfortable… I hope you appreciate it."

"Mmmh… I admit, I recognize your touch… All that reminds me of lady Minagi. Did you hear any news from her?"

"Well… This is why I'm glad to see you."

Lilith's unusually serious tone attracted Astaroth's attention, even as Morrigan started grimacing.

"Apparently mother kept herself some angels to entertain herself and hid them even after surrendering… Something that the Monster Lord and every one of her allies looked upon badly, as they're trying to groom the peace with those that survived the fall of Heaven and estimated that such actions would reflect very badly on them… So they've punished her by putting her at their service for an undetermined period of time while the first seraph makes herself her small kingdom where the Navel of the World is."

Astaroth face decomposed itself, and Lilith nodded in acknowledgment while Morrigan scoffed.

"Yeah, they're dumbasses."

"Now, Morrigan suggested we break her out and wreck havoc against angels, and get to indulge ourselves just like the good old times instead of enjoying this lovely but boring comfort, however… Let us be pragmatic for a moment. Of the Six Ancestors, less than half will support us. Saja and Tamamo support the Monster Lord. The other ones don't give a damn for as long as angels don't get in their way. No other monsters will support us, if we get caught I am pretty sure we'll be imprisoned again, and it will be for a long, loooong time… So I wanted to ask for your opinion as the middle man… sorry, this is both in bad taste and something I shouldn't ask of you right as you return from a harrowing experience."

"It wasn't that harrowing, and I think I already have a good answer…"

"Oooh, nice! I'll prepare to kick ass then!"

"But first, I want to check a little something with that seal… Do you think we can transfer it?"

Lilith shrugged. "I think we can try."

"Good. In that case, I have an idea for a good recipient."

"Hey, huuh, sorry to break it to you but Tamamo is still always around the Monster Lord, Luka, and probably that damn seraph. So forget about them."

"That won't be a problem…"

"…Aaaaand now I'm afraid."

You have a good reason to be.