Congratulations! Your management duty as a human has been noted as thoroughly impressive and recommended to the Dark Goddess Alipheese herself for a vital project. Please report to the Monster Lord's Castle immediately. Your first task will be to interview the Ancestors and solve the current food shortage issue as well as the strain on resources for an important project.
You will be given the protection needed! A full report is expected for the end of the week!
"You impudent trash! Not only you dare enter my sanctum without being invited, but you also have the gall to challenge my authority?!"
"Yes."
Kanon's vines bristled in front of the impudent man. He did not look remarkable in the slightest. Clean clothes hiding an average frame, middle potential, and no weapons to defend himself besides a pen and a paper sheet held on a plank. He was no different than the average prey entering her personal devouring garden if it wasn't for his downright suicidal behavior. He had firmly stridden in her home as if he was the owner of the place. She had let him in out of curiosity, and when he ended in front of her, he simply said she was eating too many men without even looking at her figure. He only looked up to her when she insulted him.
"Give me one reason I should not eat you right now."
"I'm personally mandated by the second in command of the Dark Goddess to find out about the recent famine affecting the region. You had asked for assistance, and I quote…" He turned a sheet. "Preferably not from that goddamn bitch who'll only steal the few men that remain around."
Several men-devouring flytraps surrounded the intruder before a memory caught up in Kanon's mind. She had indeed contacted her mother, who told her that she couldn't spare much resources from her own project, but had a promising secretary recommended by a friend in mind to help them… and then…
"You forgot, didn't you." It was not a question.
"Yes." Kanon looked down in shame.
"Well, plants have an affinity with the wind for a reason. Now, let's return to the issue at hand. Do you remember how many men you ate last week alone?"
"Huuuh, twenty?"
The secretary raised an eyebrow. "…hundred. Two thousand as humans would say."
The man sighed in exasperation. Somehow his disappointed look was even more insulting than the same from one of her sisters.
"…you realize you're killing roughly as many people as all the remainder of the region combined?"
Kanon was indignant. "It's not my fault! I need the energy to finalize the demiurge project!"
"Yes. The top secret project Demiurge. The one nobody should hear anything about. The one that is personally entrusted by the Dark Goddess to her lieutenants and nobody else."
Kanon joined her hands in front of her mouth as she regretted her words. After an awkward silence, the man talked once again.
"The Dark Goddess told me I was supposed to find out it was going as well. I have no idea what this project is about, and I don't care. Back to you again… you could feed on soil, and yet you're eating everyone that shows up. That's just counterproductive. And people are going to avoid Grangold like the plague."
Kanon sneered. "Oh yeah? Where do you get that from, mister know-it-all? What makes you so sure that people avoid me even as they keep coming to get a taste from me?" She laid down on her pink flower in a lascivious pose.
"Well… because you asked for an investigation about a famine in the region for starter…" The secretary lifted another sheet. "And also because I have the information about traffic in the major city to visit each of the Ancestors and Grangold is dead last."
"WHAT?! I'M BEATEN BY THAT DAMN BITCH, THAT SHAMELESS WHORE, AND EVEN THAT BLUE BALL OF JELLY IS MORE POPULAR THAN ME!?"
"Yes. And by a lot. The fact that you reject monsters from your own kin doesn't help. Also, there aren't that many human enjoying being eaten alive when they could just get some more classical intercourse. You're not only a psychopath, you're also incredibly wasteful. Everyone is getting pissed at you wasting resources."
More bristling vines surrounded the secretary. "And what do they intend to do about it? I'll eat them the moment they step on my turf!"
"Well, if they follow my advice… nothing. People will stop coming here, letting you starve and forcing you on the offensive when they'll pluck you apart because a seed-for-brain monster will lose her only advantage."
Kanon's flower visibly wilted from the stress induced from his answer. "Can't you just get more men here?"
"Can't you just stop eating people?"
"But it's your fault for being so tastyyyyyy…"
"Then nope. Not doing anything here."
Kanon pouted before a grin appeared on her face. She sprayed a large cloud on pink pollen. That cold secretary would be a burning wreck lusting for her in no time desperate to get a taste… and she decomposed when he showed up with his face covered by a gas mask. His hands were still occupied with his notes and pen as if nothing happened.
"Nothing to add? In that case, I'll be on my way, I still have your sisters to see. If you're dissatisfied with my service, please report it directly to the Dark Goddess."
The man turned around and left. The alraune blinked a few times at the surreal scene.
"What the fuck was that… wait, did he insult me of seed-for-brain?! I'M GOING TO HAVE HIS ASS FOR DINNER!"
The secretary looked around him, slowly breathing in and out while massaging his face. Save for his unfortunate person and his current companion, there was only sand as far as the eye could see. "So this is what remains of the Sabasa kingdom."
The answering young girl clad in a red coat and boots with matching hat and ribbons in her hair could be qualified as cute if it weren't for the two tentacles twinning around her legs that promised more strange organs. Even her playful tone was a stark contrast to their grim surroundings. "Yes."
"You ate everything else."
The girl answered with the same joyous tone. "Yes."
The man released a long drawn sigh. "And you're asking for more men because you're hungry."
The girl's tone turned quizzical. "Yes?"
"Which means you're going to eat at least five hundred men. I insist on the at least."
"Yes…"
The secretary slowly breathed in and out again. "I can understand that you need a lot of food given your involvement in that Demiurge project, but… just what part of your energy do you actually use for that?"
Hiruko shamefully looked down. "…Ten percent."
Her answer was met with an eye roll. "And what else do you do besides eating that would justify eating a hundred people daily?"
The scylla ancestor joined her hands in her back and started tracing a symbol in the sand with her feet. Her tentacles were now tightly holding on her legs. "Chasing rebels. Trying to eat Eden."
"And did you get them?"
Her face turned as red as her coat. "Some of them."
"Not Eden though."
Her skin was now redder than her coat. She timidly answered. "No."
"And, given those poor results, the fact that everyone is asking to get more men, and your complete lack of self-restraint, do you really think I'm going to get you what you want?"
Hiruko pouted. "But I'm hungry."
The secretary sighed in exasperation and threw his arms in the air. "Yes, yes, I get it, you're hungry, you're not happy about the lack of food and men." He swiped his arm around. "Look around you, and feast your eyes on all the fucks I give about this. The same amount you give for the people you eat. Or your subordinates. Or your future. It's a miracle that this world still stands and you didn't die of starvation after a thousand years."
Hiruko whined again. The secretary groaned, and decided to change his approach.
"I don't understand… why didn't you let them grow and produce food for you if eating is what's important to you? You'd be able to always get what you want, any time you want."
"Well, this is what Tammy told me too… but I eat a person, and then their mate since they're usually close-by, and then their chil-"
"Stop here I don't want to hear the details." The secretary audibly gulped and took a few more notes. "Just stay away from everyone important for the moment. I'll try to figure it out later. In the meantime, no plundering your sisters for more men. I don't want to deal with more petty squabbles between you and your sisters, particularly Tamamo."
"But she's cheating! She has the best senses to find the best men and the best network to get them in her den!"
"Well, that's because she made the effort to construct it. Take example."
"Buuuuut…"
"Shush!" The secretary raised a finger while challenging her golden eyes. "I don't want to hear you whine again! I got everything. I'm done. Good bye."
Hiruko looked at the man disappearing on the horizon, her intent turning malicious.
"You made me even more hungry. And angry."
"Can we at least get a place where I don't have to hear five hundred men screaming as they get sucked dry or worse by your copies please? Thank you."
The secretary slowly breathed in and out as he tried to filter the pungent smell reaching his nostrils. The Grand Noah city was theoretically known as the "blue city" for its numerous and beautiful water streams, but in practice the color came from the numerous copies of the local lord getting busy with everyone and everything. One of the thousands of copies was looking down on him with an indifferent expression. The icky feeling of walking down the slimy streets was only a small inconvenience compared to everything else.
"I'll take that as a no… alright, I guess it will have to do anyway." The secretary took another sheet and sighed. "You reported that the number of humans in Grand Noah has been dangerously decreasing… am I correct?"
The giggly Ancestor silently nodded. The secretary muttered to himself. "Same as everywhere else I suppose… I'm starting to get used to it a little too much by now."
Kanade quizzically tilted her head but remained silent, trying to think whether that guest would be better left alive or if he should be turned in another meal. The perspective of getting more than one person pushed her toward the former, but options for the latter remained open, no matter the consequence.
"So I read that you contributed in a large part to the project Demiurge -which is appreciated by the way, thank you very much-, although some people complained that you used much more resources than what should have been necessary."
"It's Tamamo I presume."
"And Minagi. And Saja. And pretty much everyone else… Sooo…" The secretary grimaced as he more carefully analyzed the scene around him. The debauched spectacle had quickly lost any attraction, leaving him more disgusted than aroused. "I know that you need a lot of energy, but do you really need that many copies to feed?"
Kanade frowned but still remained silent. The secretary nonchalantly pointed behind him. "I mean, you have several copies to drain some guys here. A foursome here." He pointed in another direction. "And this one has his harem there. Considering that you need a lot of energy, I thought you'd have been a little more concerned with efficiency. There's enjoying the fun of having as many of you as you want, and there's what you're doing."
"I want to make sure they're satisfied. This is why they come here. I want them to come out of desire. And yet, less and less come…"
"About that…" The secretary grimaced as it was time to address the elephant of the room. "Did you ever consider that the reasons people skip Grand Noah to go directly to Yamatai or San Ilia is because your laws might be a bit harsh?" An awkward silence fell as even several copies of Kanade stopped in their activity. "I mean, aggression being punishable by death, I understand, theft is a bit extreme, but even littering... scratch that, everything is punishable by death..."
"Pollution is harmful to us. Anyone who pollute is simply treated as someone who attacked me. It's only logical, isn't it?"
The secretary grimaced. "I… don't fully agree. I understand the idea, but you should understand that people are a bit reluctant to come to live in a city where the shortest moment of distraction could be fatal."
"And why should I care?"
"You should care because you care about the decreasing number of men coming in the country of Noah. This is why I'm here, remember?" Another silence passed. "If you're done with your part of the Demiruge project, attributing you resources isn't going to be a priority in front of the numerous people still working on it or at risk of actually starving, particularly when half the energy you devour is spent in an orgy to get more."
"Are you telling me I'm supposed to eat less?" Her tone was as monotonous and neutral as ever, but the underlying threat was obvious.
"I… actually yes, I'm telling you to eat less! And to be less of a messy eater! We can't spare infinite men just for you!" The secretary angrily scribbled down a few notes. "Maybe a few less men will teach you how to be more efficient! Goodbye!"
The secretary briskly stepped away while avoiding several slime tentacles that tried to drag him away. Once he was out of sight and of her grasp, the turmoil born of her emotions coalesced in a clear goal.
"I will make sure I have at least one more man."
"Greeting lady Minagi, if you would kindly stop doing your current lay to take a moment to listen to me, we could start working on your interview… also if you would tell your daughters to take a break in their favorite activity as well so that I don't need to scream every word over the noise, I would very much appreciate that. May I even suggest taking our meeting in a more appropriate room? And before you ask, no, I'm not interested, I don't want to do it on a desk like a professional, and I want my mind cleared of the giant fuckfests I run in each time I get in a new city."
The succubus answered in a sultry voice. "Oooh, are you jealous of him? Do you want to be in his place, enjoying nameless pleasures with the greatest succubus who will ever exist?"
"No. And stop hitting on me like a cheap whore. I have actual work to do."
At first, the succubus ancestor listened to the man with a salacious smirk even as she didn't stop moving her hips. She only gradually slowed down and stopped when she realized that he was serious. She quickly sucked dry her victim before nonchalantly throwing his body away even as her eyes were locked on him. Finally, she slowly got up, towering a solid head over him. However, instead of looking at her breasts as she expected, the man was looking back in her eyes thoroughly unimpressed.
"Dear friends… would you kindly leave me some intimacy while I make sure this one's desire are properly slaked?"
A female moan answered. "Can we keep having fun with the seraph?"
"I actually don't care. Just please go away for a moment."
"Yes, lady Minagi." The secretary could see several succubi carrying an unconscious angel clad in a black ribbon while another one was still trying to have her way with her to the displeasure of her colleagues. The door closed in a loud clang, leaving the duo bathed in a crepuscular pillow-filled bedroom.
"Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence? I do not remember whining about men like my sisters did."
"That's because you and your daughters are hogging them in the first place." The secretary checked his notes. "You did transform almost every human woman in a succubus in your lust-fueled rampaging orgy some years ago, and invited most of them in San Ilia." He looked up at Minagi. "What did you expect to happen when you turned hundreds of thousands of women into demons that suck dry every man they come across?!"
"Oh, but you said it yourself so well: a lust-fueled rampaging orgy that I gladly invite you to partake in."
"I already said that I'm not interested. Also, why do you need so many succubi for?"
Minagi raised an eyebrow. For the first time since the beginning of the interview, her seductive tone disappeared.
"I do not understand your question. What are you asking for exactly?"
The secretary groaned in exasperation. "Why did you make so many succubi? I mean I know Kanade, Kanon and Hiruko sank a lot of resources for that Demiurge project whatever it is. Is it the same for you?"
"Oh, I'm actually not involved in the Demiurge project." She languidly licked her lips. "The skills and services we offer are best used for entertaining those angels we captured. It looks like you would appreciate those as well."
"No, I wouldn't." The secretary contemptuously glanced at Minagi. "Your sisters at least had the excuse to work on something large for their gluttony. You and your family are just eating to eat more."
"And why is that so bad? I don't think a single person left this place unhappy…"
"Probably because nobody leaves this place alive in the first place, which is a reoccurring pattern I noticed…" The secretary scribbled a few notes on his sheet. "Anyway, I'm going to make sure that resources are allocated where they're needed. In the meantime, you and your… extended family will have to stop sucking a man dry every other day. You can keep them alive, you will have to keep them alive."
"Mmmh… I'm sure I can convince you to make sure a few more men end here instead." Minagi swayed closer to the secretary who somehow always remained out of reach, stepping away just as easily. Eventually tiring of this game, she imbued her eyes with her seduction power. The room was illuminated by bright pink light. However, instead of the lust she expected in his eyes, she was faced with a pair of dark sunglasses. In a last ditch effort to get him, Minagi extended her ribbon only for the snakelike fabric to get swatted down by his plank like an unruly pet. The shoulders of the secretary slumped.
"You'll have to put a lid on your murderous instinct or you'll actually run out of things to fuck."
"But…"
"Just. Stop. Killing. Your lays. Is it too hard to understand? I thought succubi were good at reading the mood!"
Minagi pouted. "I'm just trying to find a nice way to pass time while I miss my cute little daughters… They've been sent on a mission to another world…"
"Speaking of, let's talk about their mission!" The secretary shifted several papers before checking the top. "They were instructed to start transferring souls, and did so by what was qualified as a murderfuckfest, pardon my French, something they take great pleasure in doing. At the same time, they've been instructed to bring the hero and his companions to their side because he's needed for them to return home." He nodded with a satisfied expression. "That's… an actually good plan. At least something positive happened to illuminate that shitty day."
Minagi smiled, gladly taking the congratulations for an idea that came from Tamamo. "Thank you. Morrigan even joined him, and I have no doubt she's satisfying his every desires..."
"Yes, although I'm reading that Tamamo is a bit concerned about her integration given… what happened." The man tilted his head in confusion. "Huh. Weird. She didn't further develop. Do you know what happened?"
That bitch.
"Oh, my cute little daughters might have been their usual troublesome selves, but it is nothing to concern yourself about."
"Ah." Minagi shivered. That Ah could mean anything. However, the man quickly shrugged. "Oh well, as long as they did not trouble him directly or indirectly, she has no reason to worry."
The succubus couldn't refrain from grimacing. The secretary quickly picked on the cues, and his contented smirk turned in an agape expression.
"They were instructed to assist him, right? It's the best way to build a good relation after all. You help him, he'll help you, and everyone's happy."
Minagi answered with a visibly insincere smile. "They assisted him recently after a small crisis, but… there's been a few things happening before that."
"Didn't they… actively avoid him beforehand?"
A negative answer again.
"Ah." Again, that ah. "Where they instructed to not cause him trouble?"
"They… might have fought once or twice."
"Oh, for the love of… please tell me they were asked not to kill him!"
"Well, I wasn't told why, but it wouldn't have been an issue."
The secretary dropped his block. He looked at the succubus for a whole minute, completely aghast before picking himself up. "Not an issue… what the… even if he survived, there's no way in hell he would join them afterward! I won't even ask if they refrained from going on their spree when he was close by! It's nothing short of a god damned miracle that Morrigan is with him, doing fine and being alive to this day!" He slowly breathed in and out to calm himself. "How many times did they fight him?"
"Three."
"Great. Once for every sister I suppose. And how many times did they save him?"
"Three…" The secretary looked over his glasses again, unnerving the succubus. "…maybe once actually. The hero and his companions were more than able to handle themselves the other times. I think."
"You think? Did you at least keep track of the hero before Morrigan joined him, or is it the first time you're able to know his whereabouts more than once every three months?"
A deafening silence answered him. The secretary sighed.
"The most important piece of your plan, the one chance to get your daughters back and you completely ignore him." He took a few more notes with a hand trembling in a barely restrained rage. "No more men for the city until we know for sure he'll follow them. I spent way too much time for that shit. I'm out. Enjoy your fasting."
Minagi was too stumped to try blocking his way when he left the room. Eventually, she shrugged his departure to wallow again in hedonism. However, she regularly found her mind wandering on the man that had so boldly resisted her advances again and again.
"Well, now I want to fuck him more than anyone else. I'm sure nobody else would mind if he ended under me."
The secretary accepted the pile of compiled reports that magically glided on the large oriental desk his current host had invited him at. He appreciated being properly welcomed for the first time and the feeling of dealing with someone who was aware of the power of properly managing their resources.
"As you can see, son of man, I already took into account the likeliness that my thick-headed sisters would be unwilling to hold back their insatiable appetite and planned my reserves accordingly." He looked up to see the nine-tailed kitsune display a carnivorous grin. "I took measures to make sure not a single death happens without reason. Only the strict necessary for food and testing. And before you ask, I did try to look for alternatives, and I am saddened that I was unable to find any substitute."
"I can see that…" The secretary looked through the various reports and distractedly nodded. "There are only two minor exceptions, and you even carefully recorded both of them."
"Yes…" Tamamo No Mae started fanning herself. The carefully crafted scene set-up done by the kitsune didn't escape the secretary, who became even more wary of her upcoming words. "I needed a little additional energy after my interventions in the other world." She flirtily giggled. "I did a lot of legwork back then."
"About your interventions…" The secretary briefly grimaced. "…I got the gist of the idea behind your initial plan for Grangold, but I didn't have the details. Can you please explain what happened?"
"It ended being a failure because of the intervention of the hero, but we quickly and successfully started our backup plan, which unfortunately got foiled by the hero again." Tamamo's smile didn't waver. "This is why we're now focusing our effort in getting him to our side and assisted them when that little succubus trouble happened in Grand Noah. I want to show them that we can help them."
"That's good, but back on your actions in Grangold… you did proudly claim that destroying kingdoms was your specialty, and you did so in front of a man who's known to have, and I quote from your own report, sugar and rainbows in their head."
"I admit that I have been a little dramatic. However, given whose company he welcomed through his recent adventures, I am perfectly confident he will accept our more... unpleasant actions."
The secretary shuffled a bit on his chair. "Even so… I'm a bit surprised you decided to fully revel in your role after Saja already approached him. I'm not sure sending mixed messages was a good idea."
The kitsune's voice became suddenly harsh. "I was not aware at the time that Saja had approached him. I had been kept in the dark about her plan. I'm well aware that her miscommunication did cost us some goodwill we will need to regain.
"Ah." The man completely froze for a moment, filling the room with an awkward silence until he scribbled a few notes. "Considering that she's-"
"She's not our leader. She gets on her high horses because the Dark Goddess is keeping her at hand as a messenger and bodyguard."
"Okaaay…" The man grimaced and took a few more notes and mumbled. "In that case, I assume that you're the one who's leading the Demiurge project."
Tamamo dramatically sighed. "Only for as much as trying to herd the bull-headed cats that make for my sisters can be called leading."
"I noticed by myself how hard working with them was… anyway, how advanced is the project?"
The devilish smile returned. "It's almost finished. My sisters are giving the finishing touch while I cross my fingers that they finish it in due time."
For the first time since the beginning of his mission, the secretary felt elated. "That's actually a good new! When is it due?"
Tamamo rolled her eyes. "When they'll be done… which can take forever with them."
An eyebrow was raised. "You didn't give them a deadline?"
"Asking them for anything more than indulging themselves is a waste of air and energy."
The secretary gulped loudly. "And these are the same people who're working on what I guess is a weapon of mass destruction… this will be a miracle if it works."
"We have the Dark Goddess on our side."
"And your enemies have one of Light or worse." The secretary gritted his teeth. "Ok, did you check their work from time to time?"
"Naturally." Tamamo started fanning herself, her patience starting to run low. "I wouldn't be so negligent as to let the work of my sisters be unsupervised."
"You controlled it at regular intervals then… did you also make sure to coordinate their work as well?"
Tamamo sighed. "As I said, air and time is wasted on them."
"I won't even ask if you encouraged or supported them for their work as well…" The secretary angrily scribbled more info on his notebook. "And yet you're relying on them."
"Do you think I had a choice?" Tamamo No Mae accusingly pointed at the secretary with her fan. "No one else have the needed skills! They're making sure of that with their feeding rampage! They keep being cretins at best, and I only treat them appropriately! What should I do if you think you're so smart?"
"Well, I would have not fed that vicious circle for starter. Finding out which is the first between the egg or the chicken is a bit useless when a fox ate both." The atmosphere grew cold. "I thought you were actually different from your sisters… I guess the joke's on me."
Tamamo snarled. "The one thing that will be on you is me."
"Not different at all."
"I did not mean that in a sexual sense you perverted degenerate."
"I rest my case."
Tamamo refrained from acting. She'd wait until he completed his job, and then she would properly carry out her planned punishment. However, ripping his throat out was more tempting with each passing second. She was contenting herself with tightly gripping the edge of her desk.
The man was still taking notes without looking at her. "Do you really have any authority on your sisters?"
The secretary didn't flinch when the edge of the desk exploded in splinters.
"I will take that as a no. I won't lose any more time and take that directly to the actual boss then."
The secretary briskly stepped away. Tamamo was still in her office, barely controlling her panting.
"Once you're done, I'll get my hand on you. And when I get my hands on you, I will rape your soul out of your body until you BEG ME FOR YOUR DEATH!"
"Greetings, secretary. You are back in time, I see. Will the results of your mission satisfy the Dark Goddess?"
"Yes, and probably not. If only because I was the only one with a deadline hanging over my head. And the idea that resources are not unlimited."
Saja frowned at the impudent answer, but let it slide as the man diligently walked by her. She wouldn't sanction someone who wanted to do his best to serve the Dark Goddess. The large lamia was wallowed on her throne at the other end of the hall in a resting position, only passably straightening herself as the secretary entered with Saja on his heels. The man quickly kneeled, although both monsters could feel he was more impatient than respectful.
"Greetings, young man, and stand up. I expect that your report will be pleasant to hear."
The secretary obliged. "I will let you judge that. Do you wish to start with the project or with the resources issue?"
"Let us hear about the results promised by the Demiurge project first." She frowned. "I have enough trouble on my plate, a good new for starters would be appreciated."
"In that case… as far as I can say, nothing short of a miracle will make this thing work. This isn't so much of a coordinated work than a bunch of people working on the same thing, and the only thing I was surprised by was the lack of accusation that their -coworkers? Let's stick to sisters- were trying to sabotage the work already done by each other." The secretary looked at his notes, ignoring the Dark Goddess's shock and Saja's burning glare. "I spent a few hours trying to understand how did it go wrong before realizing that the answer is a new question… how much time do you spend directing them?"
Alipheese sneered and leaned back on her throne. "I trust them to overcome any challenge they will face. Interfering would only get in the way of their growth."
"Well that explains a whole fucking lot."
Saja hissed. "Watch your tongue. You may have her favors, but they can only go so far."
"Probably as far as this Demiurge thing can actually go, so I will watch myself. My point remains though. They're not so much cooperating on what they're working for than wrangling with each other like a bunch of unruly children."
Alipheese sighed. "They are simply competing against each other. It is natural to want to be the best and act on that design. I do not see how it is an issue."
"Thank you for providing me with the perfect transition since they're competing for resources as well! And by that I mean they're all binging on men like a bunch of fat kids in a candy store except they're now eating it straight from the production line."
Alipheese raised a confused eyebrow, but she eventually caught on the message and frowned.
"My daughters simply feed appropriately as they see fit. Do you imply that I'm not adequately overseeing them?"
"Yes, and I'm now outright saying it for everyone's sake: if you don't rein them in quickly, you will end up with a critical shortage soon, a plan that won't work, and the Six Ancestors fighting each other like… well, a bunch of kids fighting for the last candy. And I'm repeating myself here, but you can forget about that Demiurge project."
Alipheese looked down on the man with all her contempt. It was not quite what she expected to hear. It was certainly not what she wanted.
"I shall inform you that we have two other backups should our Demiurge project not be met with success. I would not be foolish enough to edge my bets on a single pawn, and I can assure you those two are closely guarded secrets…"
"Would they be related to an archangel and transforming the hero?"
Both Alipheese and Saja froze, completely mortified. The secretary continued.
"Because their… responsibles needs to better secure them. I saw the former gifted as a toy by Minagi to her subordinates, and plans for the latter somehow ended in my files." He looked up from his notes straight in her eyes while showing a schematic. "I maintain all my statements. You need to monitor them more closely. They're closer to hyperactive children than responsible leaders of nations, and are themselves the sources of all the trouble they're currently suffering."
Hyperactive children…
A few seconds passed as his words sank in Alipheese's brain. She gulped loudly while her hands gripping the throne trembled slightly.
"Your remarks have been… noted. I thank you for your service, and you are free to go."
The man bowed and left, unaccompanied. The second the door closed in a loud clanging sound, Saja flew to the side of Alipheese. The Dark Goddess released a drawn out sigh.
"What are your orders, my lord? Please do not let the words of that presumptuous waste of materials hurt you. He does know nothing of your designs."
"It is alright… given the information he got from the hands of my own daughters, I shall acknowledge the good point he makes." Alipheese slowly breathed in and out and passed a hand over her face. "First, I will pass the message to everyone. We have been too careless those years and can't afford to run out of resources or have our secrets revealed at the dawn of a war. Second…" She frowned. "The immunity of this jester shan't be renewed. It will end at midnight."
He's close… why here of all places?
Saja tracked the secretary's scent in the middle of a chain of mountains. She would personally share a piece of her mind with the man who thought himself as great as the Dark Goddess. He had been given a task, and had accomplished it in the brassiest manner. She would have given him a fair share of respect… if he hadn't insulted the designs of the Dark Goddess.
Right now, the yoma hesitated between bringing her the man's head, or his person alive to disgrace his existence in front of her lord, or even letting her lord do it itself…
Her thoughts were interrupted by a rumbling followed by the echoing sound of explosions. A quick analysis yielded an unsurprising result. Several of her sisters were fighting. She quickly flew to their position. Kanon and Hiruko were turning around one another, tentacles and vines pointing at each other like scorpion's tails.
"He will be mine, you pedobait!"
"In your dreams! I'll teach that guy what happens when you mess with my food!"
The two Ancestors jumped at each other's throat in a hectic storm of vines and tentacles. Saja sighed and started flying away when a large number of vines grabbed her. On the ground, Kanon was growling.
"Oh, don't you THINK you can deprive us of a meal you birdbrain!"
Saja put a large amount of effort in tearing through Kanon's vines. Their lack of resistance surprised the yoma who ended up tumbling through the sky for a moment. An overpowering musk informed her that she hadn't been the only one trying to pass by the scuffle of her two sisters. Saja released a dispelling wave around her, and the sound of glass shattered as Minagi appeared near her. The succubus smiled.
"Isn't this a surprise… to what do I owe the pleasure, dear sister?"
"What are you doing here?"
Minagi longingly sighed. "I was just strolling around, looking for lone men desperately begging to be ravished by me."
Saja frowned. "Then go look elsewhere. I am on a mission from the Dark Goddess. I will personally execute him."
Minagi bit her lip. "How about I do it in your stead? I'll make sure he regrets ever turning me away, and your mission will be accomplished anyway. How does that sounds as a deal?"
"I refuse. I will be the one to take care of him, and his death shall be painful."
"Well, in that case, I suppose I'll take him for myself before you do... oh, don't you worry, I'm sure at least one of your appetites will be satiated."
Saja and Minagi got suddenly both slammed in the ground with great strength. Saja quickly released another dispelling wave and focused on finding the all-too-obvious culprit behind the spell.
That bitch! I will make a fur coat out of her tails!
Minagi elegantly got back on her feet in a summersault, and while her beauty was intact, her eyes were now glowing with anger.
"I'm going to fuck that fox up."
Another rumble and a rain of small pebbles reminded the duo that Kanon and Hiruko were still in the middle of their violent disagreement. A rocky peak was now slowly falling from the mountains that had supported it for millennia. Another explosion echoed close by. Trying to find a lone human in this mess was impossible.
Minagi attempted to fly again only for a spear of blue slime to come from the ground and toss her in a rock. On impact, said rock transformed in a familiar nine-tailed fox. For the shortest of moments, Kanon and Hiruko stopped attacking each other. The Six Ancestors were now gathered in the crater made by their fight, glaring at each other.
Then they jumped at each other in an explosion of violence and magic. Claws, tentacles, vines and other strange limbs met each other in a bath of destructive spells. Amongst the chaos, Saja ended wrapped around Tamamo and tried to crush the kitsune's body in her tail.
"You'll pay for using your last toy to make the goddess unhappy you cum guzzler!"
"What?!" Tamamo disappeared in a small ball and rolled away from Saja's tail before reappearing on her side with a sword in hand. "I thought he was your latest attempt to exert control over us!"
Saja sneered and parried one of her attack. "As is! I know you're the one who recommended him! Only your devious mind would use a mere human to degrade the goddess!"
"Are you that daft?! If that was the case, I wouldn't be here for his head!"
Then Saja remembered. One of Tamamo's failure had been revealed back then. And the kitsune's cohorts were unfortunately too smart for make such a basic blunder.
He wasn't one of her goons. Then who…
The answer would wait as both Tamamo and Hiruko jumped on top of her.
Far on top of another mountain, a white-furred monster with a top hat and cape was pouting at the scene. After yet another stray bolt exploded and brought down a large pang of a mountain, she disappeared in a crevice to enter a comfortable study. The secretary was taking more notes at a small desk.
"Ok. You won your bet. They're at each other's throats. The mountain around them is already half-destroyed."
The secretary answered without looking up. "Called it. I can't say I'm happy about it though."
The White Rabbit crossed her arms and leaned back. "Huh. That's strange. I thought you'd be happier about it. I mean you just got-"
The secretary raised his hand to interrupt the White Rabbit. "I would rather have been wrong and told you that your plans could fully rely on them. Instead, you'll have to resort to an over-convoluted plan to finish with a remotely satisfying result." He got up and started perambulating in the small room. "As long as you do deliver the promised reward, I'll content myself with that."
"Don't worry, I'm not Tamamo (or Daji, screw her)." The White Rabbit showed a flat key in her hand. "Here it is, no string attached." She tossed it to the man who accepted it. "You know, I didn't expect you to be that involved in your work for them. I mean, given how cold you were toooo…"
"The use of human as resources, them being known to fuck all that offend their persons, and their lack of forethought and afterthought in their plans?"
"…I wouldn't put it in that order, but yes."
"This is called being professional. It's a quality that they're thoroughly lacking."
"That… might be true. They're a bit driven by their desire. They might not be the best choice to save the world, but this is what we'll have to do with."
That sounds awfully familiar.
"You're the one who always counted on them, not me… speaking off, I think they're done outside. Is it safe?"
The White Rabbit nodded. The secretary slowly strolled outside their little hideout. Even from their vantage point, the damage born from the fight between the Ancestors was notable. A mountain range had been turned in yet another wasteland in the middle of which six silhouettes were laying unconscious.
"Well, it's been fun, isn't it?" The White Rabbit dusted herself. "You miiight want to clear off before they wake up though. Just a thought."
"Yeah..." He examined the scene while juggling the key in his hand. "Shame. I would definitively have hit on them if I was sure I would come out alive. Or sane at least."
"This is a bit out of our contract, soooo… it's definitively at your own risk."
"I know." He examined the key in his hand and chuckled. "Just don't forget to contact me for the last step. I don't want to miss that for anything in the world."
"Pinky swear!" An alarm clock fell from one of the White Rabbit's pockets and rang. "Wooops! I'm late again! See ya!"
The White Rabbit threw her top hat in the ground before diving in, making both disappear in a small plop. The secretary breathed in and out one last time; and returned to the small study to grab the last papers and tidying up the place. He was tempted to give them more advices, but he was now out of his contract, and the extremely short-lived moment of satisfaction he would get from giving those wouldn't be worth being torn apart.
"Well, here's to hoping they at least consider the alternative. I wonder if I'm going to get more work?"
Alright, a few info since it's been way too long since my last chapter posted.
-I'm not "quite" starting a new serie while leaving the other two on standbys. I simply wrote one or two one-shots and realized they could go nowhere in my current stories.
-This one in particular is slightly inspired by Proud Parent's own secretary story and a few events that are partly responsible for why I'm less active those last months.