Tamamo gulped loudly as the sheer aura of raw pleasure poured from the castle of Grangold. As much as she hated to admit it, she was forced to recognize that Vinum might have not exagerated that much when she said that this succubus was as powerful as her dear sister. She could already tell that trying to examine her opponent in more details without further preparation would end very badly for her.
"Good grief, we didn't need yet another universe-threatening threat…» Mephisto sounded surprisingly jaded, even as she and Vinum were rising a protection barrier to shield everyone. The small succubus sighed.
"I cannot even help you. Succubi from our world are bound to obey Her by immuable rules. I will search for more reinforcement."
"We're coming with you !"
Vinum glared again at Musette and her goons even as she was still holding the former by her by the collar.
"You're responsible for that mess, you and your goons clean it up… and it's valid for you too, Daimyokai."
Tamamo focused back on the yokai hunter that she was still holding on to and had somehow forgotten. She released her but kept her eyes on her past target, as if challenging her to act up and escape.
«Don't be reckless. Or stupid.» Vinum disappeared in silence even as the large group in the building was at a loss for what they should do next. Musette tried to nonchalantly get up and dusted herself, but her expression made it clear that she was just as rattled as her companions. She attempted to scoff at the situation, but she could only gulp loudly as she connected the latest event and understood her own responsibility in the catastrophe at hand.
"Bell, Lyla… I count on you for this one."
"Yes, Musette." Both one-winged angels nodded in unison.
A nervous Mephisto fidgetted with her wand as she looked outside of Musette's office : The sky was turning completely black above the castle, like a dimensional stain that kept spreading as it tore apart reality.
"Let's assault the castle of Grangold again, before the demon inside once again destroys the world around her. Again."
Tamamo nodded in agreement even as they all left the office. The parallel with the time she had to fight another version of her was way too obvious and recent. Was it a mere coincidence, or…
Of course it wasn't. The place was likely filled with residual magic from her counterpart's attempt at brainwashing the whole population of the continent. Said residue had stagnated to become so much magic to use for their ritual…
As the large party rushed toward the castle, all of them noticed the unsually low human presence in the streets of Grangold. Most of the population had taken to barricading itself in their own home, and they could even see the occasional mage futilely trying to stop the spreading of this new abominable aura. When Magatsu pulled the large main door open, everyone was further assailed by a thick, almost palpable miasma of pleasure and death which made them choke. The kitsune cleared her throat and started chanting the words that would return her strength to her.
"I ask thee, eternal time... My body, shackled by the powers of creation, I beseech thee. Return my true body to me!"
Tamamo's adult form fully unfurled in front of several of her surprised party members. She reinforced the spell that protected the party, and returned to Mephisto as the latter was guiding everyone toward the deepest parts of the castle.
As they further progressed, they saw what looked like a large pack of succubi who had seemingly decided to turn one of the hallways of the castle into a brothel. In a confused dazed, the sex fiends tried to throw themselves at the party in a lust-induced haze. Tamamo and Magatsu swatted them out of their way without even slowing down in the slightest. Behind them, Musette, her followers and Daimyokai slightly lost some of their pacing in shock before being brought back to reality by Mephisto's harsh voice.
"Keep moving, people, you don't want to be left behind with them !"
The quartet reflexively obeyed and rejoined with the others. Tamamo felt her heart beating faster as they climbed the last set of stairs that was going to lead them to the throne room –and the source of all their current troubles.-
The instant Tamamo's eyes laid on the succubus, she grimaced in surprise. Even if her overall appearance was quite different from her sister, the kitsune had to admit that the succubus in front of her had way too much in common with the Ancestor of their kin in this world : The same overly feminine shapes, the same number of wings, the same air of superiority… However, while her aura carried the promises of forbidden pleasures commonly associated to succubi, hers was also accompanied by a feeling of otherworldly, devouring void that made everyone shiver as they raised their weapons. She was not a mere sex fiend. She was a pure, white devil who would end all and everything without a second thought.
The succubus giggled. "Is this how you welcome those that have been summoned to your quaint little world ?"
"You've only been brought by the folly of a dreamer, and have no place here." Mephisto punctuated her sentence by summoning a powerful avalanche that made the succubus disappear under an avalanche of sharp rock. Her magic soon dispelled, and her target didn't seem more inconvenienced than that by the assault.
"I see… It is tragic then that you wish to refuse the pleasure I could bring to this world, for you see…"
In a single heartbeat, the succubus was standing tall in front of Mephisto. The yoma collapsed in a heap on the ground, her nervous system compltely burned by the raw pleasure.
"This world now has all my attention."
With a war cry, Magatsu attempted to strike the demon who didn't move in the slightest. Instead, all the world around her ended up frozen in time as she examined the oni, wondering how she would play with her. However, before she could do anything, a powerful beam of energy kicked her from the side and made her stumble ever so slightly. She looked at the source of the attack with a pout of displeasure. Tamamo was surrounded with wards as she casted a counterspell to unfreeze time. As everybody became able to move once again, the succubus glided at lightning speed toward Tamamo who attempted to swat her back with her tails. As her opponen't body briefly glowed a crimson red, the kitsune stopped her assault as she felt her energy being drained each time her attacks connected with the succubus.
"I am not merely one of the harlot you deal with. Not that it matters much for you, as you remain a fine appetizer before I move on to this world itself…"
As her wards slowly shattered one by one, Tamamo felt overwhelmed by her opponent's assault. Fortunately for her, several talismans landed on the succubus who got seized in the coldest of blizzard before an explosion of raw ice magic further slowed her down. The kitsune added her own spell to the assault, and she saw Bell and Lyla attacking the succubus with a series of rapid-fire punches before moving back when the succubus turned around to chase them away like so many flies.
As the fight kept going, the pure white devil looked surprised for a short moment as she was suddenly surrounded by a magically-made cage.
"Ah !" Daimyokai exclaimed herself haugtily as she kept her wand pointed at the succubus. "Now escape that one ! No matter what happened, I never saw a single demon come out from one of my traps."
Tamamo frowned as the yokai hunter was dressed in an equipment that she recognized all too well : sacred relics from Yamatai and from the deepest vaults of the Monster Lord's Castle… That Daimyokai was definitively putting them to good use, but Tamamo was still furious at the idea that they got stolen by a greedy thief from another world. The kitsune was so engrossed by her examination of the equipment used by her ally of misfortune that she didn't notice the change in the expression of the latter until it was too late.
Before she realized what happened, the kitsune had been pinned by the succubus who was thoroughly devouring her energy. Only the most powerful strike from Magatsu combined with the furious punches from Bell and Lyla managed to stop the succubus in her meal. As the demon left her prey to focus on the three attackers in a deadly dance, Tamamo returned to her small sealed form, panting heavily as she pulled out a recovery talisman from her robe. As energy returned in her limbs, she turned around and examined the situation which didn't look good in the slightest.
That pure white devil was having no difficulty holding at bay all her opponents, and Tamamo herself was forced to acknowledge that their skills had nothing to envy to her own. Magatsu was alternating between striking with a brutal yet efficient force and using talismans in an attempt to weaken the succubus, while Bell and Lyla were working in perfect synchronization, their assaults organically flowing into each other as they hit the succubus in flurries of blows. In the meantime, Musette was supporting them from afar, casting the occasional spell or enhancement to help her allies. Tamamo chuckled darkly. It didn't look like that fake angel wanted to expose herself too much…
What worried her, however, was that she didn't see the succubus move beyond her otherworldly hovering movement. Her limbs didn't move in the slightest. Was it because she was unable to move them, too weak from the summoning ? Was it because their eyes couldn't see them move ? …Or was it because that demon was just toying with them nonchalantly and could finish them off as soon as she bored of them ?
I really hope those reinforcements promised by Vinum will show up soon and help us… I don't think we'll be able to beat her down as is.
Pulling herself from the floor, Tamamo returned into the fray in a desperate attempt to support her allies to stall for time. She felt her confidence waver when the succubus haugtily looked at her with a little smirk, but she casted several light talismans none the less, even as Magatsu kept doing the utmost effort to restrict the movement of her opponent. Even as they activated, the demon didn't show any sign of being hurt or even inconvenienced, all while she dodged most of the attacks thrown in her direction with a devilish grace. As the fight kept dragging on, her smirk soured to turn once again into this annoyed expression everybody saw earlier on her face.
"This is no longer amusing. You're boring me, and there is a whole world waiting for me outside. Now stop."
An aura of pure darkness poured from the succubus like a tide of smoke. The second the smallest wisp touched one of the angel, her partners saw her collapse pathetically like a potato sack. The second soon followed suit, with Magatsu not holding any better even as Tamamo and Musette started warding themselves while ineffectively attempting to push back this attack with waves of wind. As soon as a tendril reached her, Tamamo was seized by a ruinous despair.
She was nothing. The monster in front of her was more powerful than any goddess while she was just a small, meowling kitsune. Like the others, she crumpled on the ground and wanted nothing more than this void to swallow her. A part of her brain screamed at her to use the power of the earth to stand up and fight, but… What was the point. She had lost, and this world was soon going to follow… She was doomed, and didn't even dare look up at the pure white devil as the latter giggled sensually while looking down on her.
"In the end… You're quite interesting. I will let you marinate in this despair a little while I taste what is ahead in this world."
"Oooh, I can't wait myself."
"Mph. You're just another fiend with no self control."
Tamamo closed her eyes. A final insult presented itself as the two Nightmares she had interviewed not so long ago had decided to show up. She repeatedly blamed and insulted Vinum under her breath for forcing her to live their presence again. When she opened her eyes again, she saw both succubi holding up to that pure monster as if she was just one of them. The kitsune tried to gather the determination to get up or adress them, but she utterly failed. Not that it mattered much in her eyes. These two would get smashed in a heartbeat anyway…
"Mmmmh… What unusual succubi… You might just make for the inconvenience of being summoned to this strange world."
As Est and the devil started getting closer to gauge each other, Tamamo felt Fulbeua's gaze bore through through her and her companions.
"Heurgh… You should not grovel in front of everyone but me. Get up and rejoice, for you will see the full extent of my skills."
Riding on the supernatural wave of confidence from Fulbeua, the whole team got up to assist to the chaotic, sensual mess happening between the succubi. With much difficulties, they all managed one by one to turn from the obscene, depraved spectacle happening. Tamamo herself limped toward the exit that Magatsu kept opened, accompanied by the remainder of the group. As Daimyokai lagged behind, the oni violently shoved her with the remainder of the group before slamming the door leading to the throne room shut. The next instant, a large rune appeared to stop the aura from spreading. Even as everybody gathered their breathing, a half-dazed Mephisto examined the large symbol, worried.
"Even if our two Nightmares keep her busy, that aura will keep spreading like wildfire, and no magic will hold that in forever."
"Provided they're even still alive. That succubus might just be more powerful than our Alliance ever was."
Mephisto shrugged at the remark from Musette. "They're Nightmares, I'm not even sure they can die in the first place."
Tamamo wanted to ask Mephisto what she was meaning, but an electrical sensation and the sudden illumination of the room by the rune cut her question shut. They had a bigger emergency at hand…
"How can we deal with her then ? I don't think we can simply seal her like that…"
"How about we seal the whole room and toss it in a pocket dimension ?"
Everybody turned toward Daimyokai, clearly shocked. The yokai hunter shrugged. "What ? I mean I don't dislike those two more than you do, but I don't see how else we could get rid of that succubus… She's busy, and we all know that they don't stand a chance against her !"
"I hate to say it but…" Mephisto repositioned her hat to conceal her eyes. "She's right. We may be going to lose two powerful allies, but I don't see any other option available to us."
Magatsu glared at Musette who at least had the decency to turn her head away in shame while her two followers remained still. With a heavy sigh, Tamamo looked at the door.
"Let's get started then. We better not lose any more time…"
The mages started weaving complex spells around the castle's throne room, doing their best to stay focused even as the ward they placed earlier kept glowing more strongly, ready to burst with energy and release their death. After what felt like an exhausting eternity, everybody gathered their last bit of energy, and a large chunk of the castle completely disappeared, leaving behind a smooth, spherical void in the structure. As they looked at the gaping hole in front of them, the five mages collapsed one by one. Tamamo tossed around to enjoy the dark, star-filled sky above her, relieved that at least one disaster had been avoided this very day. The city was curiously calm, and, for a moment, the small kitsune allowed herself to relax in the tranquility surrounding her, only interrupted by the silent breathing of her allies.
"Bell… Lyla… No witnesses."
"Yes, Musette."
The kitsune opened in mouth in shock. Before she could say anything, however, she heard Daimyokai's voice not far from her.
"Wait, wait… We're partners, I won't tell anyone, I swear!"
Tamamo heard the white-winged demon chuckle pathetically.
"Sorry Daimyokai… But I really can't afford having anyone spill anything about my little mistake. Now that those idiots that purchased that damn book are dead, the only ones I have to take care of are those that helped me take care of it…"
As Musette released a cold, inhuman laugh once again, her goons started stepping closer and Tamamo even saw the closest one raise a boot to stomp her head. However, before the angel could bring her foot down, she got caught by surprise with her partner in a storm of chains that appeared from nowhere. Right afterward, the first one was punched by a duo of succubi. While Tamamo couldn't identify the curvy, black-haired one who was wearing a leather-like outfit that only hid her modesty, she felt relieved when she recognized the large bat wings and the purple mane of Alma Elma.
The second one suffered several cuts at the hands of another pair of succubi, and while the kitsune noticed Morrigan, she also saw another one wearing a bone-lie armor while her head was covered by the imitation of a skull.
Both Bell and Lyla had fallen in barely a few seconds.
Another succubus stepped in Tamamo's field of vision. This one was wearing a fully black outfit that highlighted her generous forms, while her white mane cascaded in her back as she repositioned her glasses.
"Really Musette ? What about those that heard about your idiotic deal from Vinum herself ?"
"Gghhh… Curse you Mysteltainn…"
"Aaaah, gotta admit, I also enjoy this type of exercice once in a while…» Morrigan stretched herself as she glared at the grimacing Musette. «Sorry for being late to the party, but I was in the MIDDLE of a happy reunion with my sisters who I didn't have much of an opportunity to see for quite some time !"
Tamamo gulped when the succubus ended up looking at her. "Huh. I might as well bring them a little souvenir."
The kitsune felt her body being surrounded by soft leather as darkness surrounded her. "Back. Off."
Tamamo almost started tearing up as she clung to Alma Elma like a newborn infant, desperate for this day to end.
"Hey, she's not afiliated to Luka and she's still a traitor to us! Besides, I promised my sisters I would bring something good to pay back for their help in that Château des Baisés."
"It was the Château des Romances."
"Whatever, everyone there just kept fucking anyway… What am I supposed to bring them then ?"
"Take one of those four idiots that nearly destroyed the world for their little pet project. The others are off limit."
Morrigan raised her hands in a concilation attempt.
"Okay, okay, I got it, no need to get violent, sheesh, no wonder you held up to Lilith ! So would they like one of those three angels knock off… I'm sure they wouldn't care much about one human and her toys. Hey, they look kinda familiar… IS THAT THE GLAMOROUS VEIL OF TEMPTATION ?! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN EMERGENCY FOR LILITH AND- OH, SWEET ALIPHEESE ! MOYE'S TREASURED SWORD ! I WANTED TO GET THAT ONE ! YOU'RE GOING TO COUGH UP ALL THAT AND THEN SOME, YOU THIEF !"
Tamamo briefly enjoyed the sight of Morrigan fuming through the gap Alma Elma left open between her wings before the succubus took her away.
"Let's get you to a safe spot before she comes back to her senses. Sorry for not coming earlier…"
"It's okay…"
When Alma Elma stopped, they were at the edge of an oriental settlement. As Alma Elma delicately released Tamamo, the kitsune recognized her home village, and she enjoyed breathing in the familiar smell like an expensive perfume. She started making her way to her home, clumsily stumbling forward just as much as walking even as Alma Elma observed her.
"Are you sure you're fine ? You look completely exhausted, and I'm worried that the Lilith Sisters might still try to come for you…"
Tamamo drunkenly made a dismissive gesture, inebriated with exhaustion as she giggled madly.
"Don't worry… They'll be busy with that plunderer, and the place is so heavily warded, the only way they'll reach me is if they directly spawn on top of me." She punctuated her sentence with an ecstatic sigh.
"…Take care of yourself…"
Tamamo waved behind her without looking back and entered her large but not ostentatiously rich home. Of course, her handmaidens were all on different missions, so she was alone. She gulped down an elixir, and as she became able to think clearly again, her mind focused on the two Nightmares that hadn't hesitated to give their life to keep the succubus busy. Granted, they likely only saw an occasion to get more pleasure, but even then, two companions of the hero had disappeared. Tamamo wondered what relations they had with the hero and if it would really affect him.
As she tired of her mind wandering and still felt exhausted, Tamamo decided to go to sleep and collapsed on her futon, her eyes closing almost as soon as she hit it.
When she opened them again, she realized that she was stuck under a thick purple mane. As she cleared the hair away from her, she prepared to ask Alma Elma why did she break in before falling mute when she saw Est's smiling face barely a few inches away from her own.
"Hello again, little one."
Before the kitsune could say anything, Est shushed her.
"Now, now, don't worry, I was simply curious about you… You seemed to have fanned the lust of innumerable men in the past to the point that their residual dreams alone are enough to feed me, and yet… You now live alone." She was distractedly petting the kitsune who started shaking spasmodically.
"…H-how are you there?"
"I told you. Men dream of being wrapped in fluffy tails. All those unanswered dreams attracted me. Nothing else matters… Now relax, and dream yourself…"
Tamamo's sight started clouding as she felt herself starting to tear up again.
This night, she understood why those monsters were called Nightmares.
As the sun was slowly rising over the city of Grangold, a large number of Luka's companions was standing guard around the unusual hole in Grangold's Castle. Slightly behind in a corner, Mephisto was enjoying a well-deserved cup of tea in company of the Grangold King, his counterpart from Grand Noah and Vinum. The small succubus looked unusually expressive.
"You did seal Her ?!"
Still exhausted, Mephisto shrugged. "We fought her, then we stuck her in a pocket dimension with Est and Fulbeua. We can see to seal her decently now that we're more properly prepared." Mephisto frowned. «It would be better if the hero was here, but I came to understand that he was unavailable for his own reasons. As for the two Nightmares… Call me delusional, but I can't imagine them dying. Their nature is that unusual and weird."
"That's… impressive." Vinum smiled. "This world is way better than I expected."
The Grand Noah queen soberly nodded. She wanted to castigate the small, old succubus for taking the risks they were running so lightly, but risking her wrath was out of question.
"What about Musette ? Technically, she only stole someone's else possession to fund her own project. It's illegal, but it does not warrant a severe punishment."
"She still has a part of the burden for stealing it and then selling it. Also, she ordered her goons to bash our heads in." Mephisto narrowed her eyes, her face looking more than ever like the one of a snake. "So don't expect mercy from me. As far as I'm concerned, I wouldn't mind kicking them out and having them hunted down by their own allies."
"We can stick her for a while in a pocket dimension where she won't attempt to brainwash anyone.» Vinum smirked. «In the meantime, since she got her money from my possessions, it's only natural that I take it back by getting what she bought with it."
Nobody voiced a single argument to refute Vinum. The succubus witch showed up right afterward, accompanied by Mysteltainn.
"The two Nightmares disappeared from the pocket dimension, and that…" She checked her notes. "That Pure White Devil is back to sleep. She can be sealed safely with minimal efforts."
"I'll do it then. And this time, I will keep that book secure." Vinum left, accompanied by Witch.
As the sun showed up, Mephisto basked in its warmth. Those last months had been more busy than her past years. She found herself briefly longing for the tranquility of the old days… However, she also appreciated those bouts of action that made those moments all the sweater. After such an exhilaratingly close brush with death, she felt alive and fully ready to enjoy life once again as nothing could possibly bring a worse threat on the table right now. The voice of the Grand Noah Queen pulled her out of her reverie.
"You seem awfully calm for someone who almost just died."
Mephisto leaned back in an unusually relaxed posture.
"Dealing with monsters that threaten the world is starting to become just any another day."
"Yes…" The Grand Noah Queen frowned. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm not sure becoming able to regard such threats so easily is a good thing."
"I prefer seeing it under the other angle. As it is right now, I don't think there's a single threat that we can't take down."
And then Mysteltainn sneezed.