REVIEWS:
Really, only one review worth replying to right now. IN resat, thank you all for the warm reception on my return and the return of Arc of Hell.
Ghostly: Summer, Ruby, and a Young Maria? oof...Whilst I do see some fun in that, I am afraid messing with the age of a character - although something I do - on that scale is a bit much. Drunken Conquest is also set to return at some point, or if you guys want, there is a different story idea I could try. Of course, this means I am putting a choice in your hands, guys. To those who knew Drunken Conquest, would you rather have it return or first see a new, silly, and funny harem idea first?
Discord Link: /ZUgnSWnJdG
The night had arrived, for all it was worth. He didn't quite get how time worked in hell, yet the girls seemed to have a certain feel for it. And what's more, despite the intense place he was in and those around him, not to mention Modeus's forwardness, managed to fall asleep, but he woke up as felt something rather soft press up against him.
"Ugh, what the-" He interrupted himself as he noticed what the feeling was. It was Modeus clinging to him with her arm and generously sized chest around Jaune's left arm and her head on his chest. He tried his best to pull himself away but had no luck as the girl was too strong.
"Oh, man … What should I do? She'll probably kill me if I wake her up." He knew that the girl was beautiful but at the end of the day, she still was a powerful demon. He had to think of something to get himself free.
"She's like a furnace … " He thought to himself, referring to the heat being outputted by Modeus. He laid his head back down on the fur, his finger accidentally moving a little and rubbing her palm. This caused her to make a strange noise, which due to his lonely nights, he recognized. That is when he remembered the words of the girls from before: Modeus was pretty much wired backward, so maybe …
With that thought, he rubbed her hand using a finger on his free hand. This caused Modeus to moan in her sleep as she then let loose her grip on the boy.
"Yes! Victory over the sexy demon girl!" Jaune cheered internally, then snuck slowly out of bed and got Crocea Mors, slowly moving out of the cave. He wondered how Hell was during the night, and what the difference is exactly between day and night here. However, nothing could have prepared him for what he heard. A low, beast-like growl echoed just outside of the cave. The Arc peeked his head past the corner and his eyes went wide at what he saw.
Outside the cave, trying to claw their way in, were gray corpses with white spikes coming out of them and hollow eye sockets. They had white bone armor plating on their bodies, on their chest, shins, shoulders, and forearms. He figured that the cave was protected with magic, that much was obvious by how they were trying to claw at the air in front of the cave. Jaune had to take a moment to compose himself, as the sight of those monsters spooked him. What were they? He believed demons were the only creatures of hell.
They looked like some kind of Grimm, but at the same time, they didn't. His thoughts were running wild at this point, barely able to comprehend what he's seeing. They were like zombies, for lack of a better term. Now he knew why Beel sent him in with Crocea Mors. If he ever found himself out there during the night he was going to be swarmed by them.
"Those are ghouls." A voice made Jaune turn his head, seeing Pandemonica standing there with her clipboard in her hand and a fur drawn over her shoulders. She looked down at Jaune, seeing the human's distress. It was understandable, Hell was meant to break anyone who got in. Be them alive or not. "They are the result of nearly 100 years down here. After about a century there is a chance that one of the captive souls we torture will turn into this."
"They … They were people once?" Jaune was shaken by what he was hearing. "But … Why do they come out only at night? I never saw them before, so I assume this is why we took refuge, correct?"
The demoness hummed, sounding somewhat pleased.
"Good assumption and correct. Ghouls only show during the night as they become dormant during the day. Whilst dormant, a ghoul turns itself to stone. That is why you most likely never saw them; they were hiding in plain sight. Ghouls have no sense of intelligence left in them and believe me, we checked by running several experiments on ghouls." She walked to Jaune, standing next to him and looking at the ghouls. "A ghoul is like a wild beast. They have no fear of us demons, either, but seem to be attracted by our presence. Usually, places like this, our homes, are protected by magic that keeps them at bay."
Jaune listened closely to the tired demon's words, but something seemed off. The way she looked at them, tired as always, but at the same time, full of hate and loathing. "Did they … Do something to you?"
It seemed that Jaune got it right as Pandemonica pulled her blanket tighter around her and shrunk into herself a little, looking down. "I am a second-generation demon, Jaune. I was born in Hell and lived here my whole life. Granted, in human years, I am a couple of centuries old … My 'parent' was caught outside during the night and-"
"There you are!" A new voice swiftly interrupted Pandemonica, both of them turning around to see Modeus and Justice. "I was wondering where my pillow went."
"You are quite the early bird, dude!" Justice walked over to them. "Oh shit, ghouls."
"Oh, hey girls. Sorry for sneaking away, I woke up early and wanted to stretch my legs." Jaune blatantly lied, making Pandemonica shake her head. She could read thoughts, of course, and she could tell when someone lied, same with Justice, but Modeus didn't have that capability.
"Oh, ok. Glad you didn't go outside with the ghouls. They are nasty." The lustful demon looked at the ghouls in front of the cave. "Oh dear, there are a bit more than last time. Must be because there are more demons in the cave than just me."
"It does sound like there are quite a bit of them. Annoying little buggers." Justice said. "I would help, but I have not fought in a good while. That being said, I never really tried fighting while blind, so I wouldn't know where they are. Sorry, dude, you need to come up with an idea."
"How long until daytime?" Jaune asked.
"About 1 hour." Pandemonica had pulled out a small clock. He nodded and remembered what Pandemonica was about to tell him. Something about her parents. He guessed they were killed by ghouls. "We have plenty of time to- Why are you drawing your sword, Jaune?"
The Arc drew his blade as she was speaking, holding it shakily at the ghouls on the other side of the barrier. "What would happen if I strike here? Would the barrier fall? What happens with a Ghoul when they die?"
"Wait, you have a sword with you?!" Justice was caught off-guard. "That explains the weird metallic sound I kept hearing! That's cool! Anyway, everything should be dandy. Ghouls are like souls, they don't really die, at best you will disable them for some time before they regenerate. Granted, they do return to being a normal soul for another century or so."
Jaune hummed. So nothing would change in the end. "If they turn to stone, as many as they are now, the cave will be blocked. And we wouldn't want that, right?"
"Not at all. We still have a long way ahead of ourselves." Pandemonica watched Jaune pull back his blade.
"This is for your parent, Pandemonica," Jaune told her, which had the demoness curious, but she didn't get to ask questions before Jaune drove his blade through the barrier.
Crocea Mors pierced one unfortunate ghoul through its throat. It tried to gasp for air but found itself unable to. Stumbling back, it pulled the blade out of its throat. Jaune could see the black blood decorating the blade now. Jaune pulled it back before another ghoul could yank it from him. He watched as the ghoul he stabbed fell to the floor, it wriggled around chaotically, holding its throat before it stopped moving altogether.
Jaune stood dumbfounded at what he did. He was aware it was only logical not to let them block the only exit, but that felt like, like …
Like taking a life.
"Jaune-" Pandemonica didn't even get to finish as he dropped Crocea Mors, collapsed on his knees, and threw up the little food he had left in his stomach. The demoness flinched as Modeus went to him to comfort him, rubbing circles on his back.
"Shit man!" Justice reacted, hearing him hurl.
"There, there. It's alright. The first kill is always the hardest, but it gets easier." Modeus tried to calm him. He eventually calmed down, but he still couldn't believe what just happened. "It was really hot what you did, by the way. A bit goofy all things considered, but still really hot."
"You actually went ahead and stabbed the damn ghoul! Nice!" Justice told him, offering some more positive encouragement.
"T-thanks, I guess" Jaune replied, slowly standing up and taking Crocea Mors. The bitter taste of vomit in his mouth was awful and he doubted they had anything a human could drink. Worth asking though. "Do you have anything I can rinse the vomit taste with, Modeus?"
"I have some red wine back inside my closet. Is that good?" Alcohol. Normally, Jaune would be against drinking seeing as he was underage, but as long as he didn't drink it, it was fine. He nodded at her, then Modeus went back inside to get the wine. In the meantime, Pandemonica just stared at him, but then a slight smirk appeared on her tired face.
"Stupid human. Didn't even let me finish and you must have assumed something else. My parent did die from ghouls, but I got revenge … I took ghouls captive and tortured them, breaking their bodies to the last. I enjoyed it oh so dearly. I even took normal souls and used ghouls to torture them once." She thought, but then looked at Jaune. "Willing to do such a thing to avenge one's tears. He is too good and pure for Hell, despite his sin. Purgatory for a couple of years at best if Heaven gets him first. But now, the question begs Jaune Arc, will you survive so I can break you myself later?"
"Are you alright, Pandemonica?" Jaune asked, looking at her and seeing her space out slightly.
"I should be asking you that. You did just throw up." She countered, but Jaune just scratched the back of his head. "But anyway, if you're hungry, once we depart I will show you one of Hell's food sources. It should be mortal-friendly."
"Thanks" After saying that, Modeus returned with a bottle of wine in her arms, giving it to Jaune. Opening it, only one sniff was enough to make him feel lightheaded already.
"Damn, that smell is strong … Is that wine made from Dionysus Grapes?" Justice asked, confusing Jaune.
"Yes, a gift from my father." Modeus replied.
"Damn, and you are willing to part with it so easily? This stuff is not cheap!" Justice pointed out, which actually got Jaune a bit nervous.
"It's ok. I was never a big drinker anyways. Drunken sex is no good." Modeus replied.
"Hopefully, I won't get drunk from the taste alone." Jaune muttered as he took a swing of the wine, and he was immediately assaulted with the sweet taste of the wine. Damn, this stuff was … He didn't wish to say divine, but definitely better than anything he ever tasted in the human world. However, as he held the liquid in his mouth, an idea popped into his head, and he looked at Pandemonica with a slight grin.
"I am readying it and I must say … I like it" She replied, then she looked at Modeus. "Modeus, please stand a bit in front of Jaune and light a flame on your finger."
"Why?" Modeus asked.
"Because creating fire is not one of my abilities. Fire burns paper." Pandemonica stated. "Besides, something tells me you will like seeing what comes next."
Modeus didn't ask any further and simply obeyed, lighting the flame as instructed. She then watched Jaune face the ghouls and take a deep breath through his nose, feeling the sweet taste of the wine inside his mouth. He then enacted his plan. He spat out the wine towards the flame, watching it catch fire and land on the ghouls. The creatures shrieked in pain as they caught ablaze, grabbing their faces as they cleared the entrance of the cave. Jaune cheered with glee seeing his plan work.
"DAMN!" Justice felt the heat of the fire. "Did you literally just spit out fire at them? Dude, that is even cooler than having a sword!"
Pandemonica had to admit she was impressed. Demons were fireproof, but not ghouls. Jaune likely didn't know that, meaning he took a gamble and won. Modeus simply looked at him, her eyes filled with awe. Seeing him breathe out fire like a dragon had her mind running.
"That got rid of the vomit taste as well." Jaune remarked. "How long until daytime?"
"Roughly 30 minutes. We are not in the clear yet, however, for more ghouls can come. You did get rid of the bigger crowd." She watched him, a soft white glow around him.
"Let them come. As long as we have wine, we can do that trick again" Jaune said, a renewed sense of confidence rising within him. He could feel his aura grow as well, meaning that right now he was using his ancestor's semblance. Leon Arc's semblance. Granted, the 2 semblances were now one but still felt like 2 different abilities.
"I will go pack more bottles. That was hot. Hot" Modeus went back to the cave to pack some wine bottles.
"Dude, you need to do that again sometime. Or fuck it, lemme try it too!" Justice lit a small fire on the tip of her finger. "I have fire powers too, so I could definitely do it!"
"Sure thing, Justice." Jaune replied to her. "I wonder if I will end up getting drunk, though. I don't know if just holding it in my mouth is enough not to."
"Well, depends on how many times you will need that trick per day." Pandemonica stated.
"I am ready~" Modeus shouted as she returned with a backpack on her back.
"Well, at least we have one more way to defend ourselves." Jaune stated.
Once Jaune and his demon girlfriends got what they needed, they headed towards the next circle, leaving behind the windy storms of the Circle of Lust, and descended using a couple of stairs in the side of the rock towards the next section; The Circle of Gluttony. Their way was clear of ghouls, as the daytime of hell was arriving, but the subject of day and night here confused him.
"Pandemonica, care to tell me some things?" Jaune asked.
"Sure, ask away." Pandemonica replied.
"How do day and night work? You girls seem to have a pretty basic idea of it, but to me, it feels the same." Jaune asked.
"That is because of your own eyesight. You see, we demons can perceive more than the normal eye can, and that includes the gradients of hell." Pandemonica replied easily.
"Whenever night rolls around, we kinda notice stuff getting gloomier and darker than usual." Justice continued. "Or used to, at least. We also do have clocks."
"Ghouls come out during the night, so demons living outside of Dis use magic to keep them at bay. One or two may not be a problem, but the number of souls down here has long since outnumbered the number of demons, resulting in the same situation for ghouls." Pandemonica continued. "Keeping track of time has, as such, become very important in order to maintain our safety."
"I see." Jaune muttered softly. "I guess that, in a way, ghouls are like Grimm."
"What are Grimm?" Modeus asked.
"Same here. Never really heard of those guys." Justice leaned towards Jaune.
"Many souls who arrive here nowadays have deaths attributed to Grimm, but somehow, we never saw one. Even some animals can end up here." Pandemonica added what she knew of them.
"Well, I don't know how true it may be, but it is said the Grimm don't have souls." Jaune told them, making them react strangely.
"Such a thing is … " Justice sounded disgusted and the others made faces.
"I know. Our world is plagued by them." Jaune replied, knowing what she might say. He had heard people call the Grimm many names over the years. Disgusting, monstrous, diabolical, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. However, before taking another step, he suddenly felt a strange smell, one that reminded him of a pigsty. He grabbed his nose to guard his nostrils against the powerful aroma. "What is this smell?"
"We have arrived in the next circle; Gluttony." Pandemonica said, and they entered the circle, being on the outer edge of it where Jaune could clearly see the icy rain falling down on the souls below, all the while they wailed, jerking in the mud like pigs. "Those are the souls who overindulged themselves, becoming naught but pigs wearing human clothing."
"Fuck … And there is another demon girl here?" Jaune asked as he pulled up his hood, trying to guard himself against the rain they were entering while Modeus and Pandemonica simply cast small barriers using their magic above themselves, Justice going closer to Pandemonica to avoid the rain as well.
As the group walked through the souls that wriggled themselves on the ground, approaching the interior of the circle, suddenly, Jaune felt a tug at his leg. The boy understandably jumped, spooked by this, but the soul was quick to talk. "You! You whore, you finally show yourself down here?!"
"What- I don't even know who you are!" Jaune replied, pulling his leg away, but the soul was relentless.
"Don't try to fool me, Verda Arc!" The soul exclaimed, revealing the name of an Arc long lost in the process.
"N-no, I am not Verda Arc! I am Jaune Arc!" Jaune tried to clear the misunderstanding, all the while the girls stood ready to attack if anything went badly. The soul, hearing him, raised their eyes and looked at him better, forcing their vision.
"I see … Forgive me for the confusion." The soul replied to him.
"Who are you? And what did Verda Arc do to you?" Jaune asked, to which the soul replied with venom in his voice.
"My name is Fu Hong Se, from Mistral. Verda Arc, with whom I confused you, was to be my bride. She had short hair like you, you see. Our marriage was pure, or so I believed until she left me at the altar. I truly loved her, but she took my love for granted and left, never to be seen again until many years later when I learned she made a family elsewhere in the kingdom. But by then, I already went down the path of self-destruction, so to ease the pain I indulged myself in food until I died, having choked on a bone."
"I see … I know it may not mean much, but in the name of the Arc House, I apologize for my ancestor's deed." Jaune replied to the soul, feeling sorry for them.
"There is no use for apologies now, boy. We promised to love one another, but she, going against the code of her family, broke that promise. I am now forever damned here as a result." The soul replied. "Heed my words, Jaune Arc; remain true to your family's code. But do not make a promise you can never keep."
"I hear you … " Jaune told the soul before they continued on, pulling his hood down some more as he recalled the soul in Limbo as well. All his life he believed his house was a noble one, that the name Arc meant something great. Yet, now in Hell, he learns that is not the case. How many secrets does his family have? Does his father know of such ancestors? He should have spent more time in the family archive, learning about their history.
"Are you alright?" Modeus stepped closer to him.
"I am good, just processing things." Jaune replied to her, not bothering to lie that much. "I guess you could say things were not so cut and dry as I originally suspected."
"It gets that way." Justice chimed in. "Especially down here in Hell. Say what you want about us demons, but souls simply CAN NOT lie. They have no more reason to anyway because they are dead! A lie won't save them, and there is no one left to punish them for the truth. We already know the full, naked truth of every soul that lands here."
"I am just worried, I guess?" Jaune continued. "So far, as we traveled, I keep hearing about those awful ancestors of mine, making me think about who I might find in here."
"There are Arcs down in Hell, but … " Pandemonica began, slowly trying to tell him something, but that is when she was interrupted by a familiar set of voices.
"We sense the smell of a human!" A high-pitched, cheerful voice echoed from a little distance in front of them, making them all turn their attention forward, but nothing was visible. Jaune especially was confused by this, looking around more.
"Pandemonica, what is the name of the next girl, again?" Jaune asked, realizing the detail slipped his mind.
"Cerberus."
Ah shit, does this mean he's- No. No, no, no. He was NOT into THAT. He looked around, making the mistake of looking too high up as he forgot the girls were somewhat on the shorter side.
"Down here, you silly!"
Jaune looked down slightly, and what he saw warmed his heart.
"You are a human! Does this mean you'll take us with you to the mortal realm?"
What Jaune saw were 3 identical girls. They had common traits like the other girls, that being skin color, red eyes, white hair, and a tail. However, just like all the rest, there were differences; instead of horns, Jaune noticed how they had canine ears poking from under their hair and canine teeth, which were obvious due to how cheerful they were smiling. Their hair was also long, reaching down their backs, but tied into a tail towards the end.
The triplets before him were wearing a similar outfit as the rest, with the same color selection, but wearing form-fitting apparel, wearing red button-up long-sleeve shirts underneath black-striped suit vests, and black slim-fit suit pants. They wore black cuffs over their red shirts just below the shoulder, as well as black gloves and black ties tucked underneath their vests.
The Arc could barely believe his eyes. "A demon dog girl! Three of them even!" The 3 girls all looked at him strangely, seeing as Jaune was still a little stunned.
"Hey, mister, are you alright?" They asked in unison, sounding like one being. "You know, we don't need you in one-"
Their words were cut off as Jaune brought his hand to the head of one of them, petting her.
"So cute!" Jaune thought as he kept petting her. Cerberus was confused by his actions, and the others both looked at Cerberus strangely. Well, Justice was just smiling. Usually, when a soul tried touching her, Cerberus would pounce on them and rip them to shreds. Yet here she was, and her ears even went down.
"K-keep going." Cerberus said as a second one went in closer, receiving pets as well from the Arc. Jaune was feeling delighted right now. He had always loved animals, and he'd be lying if he said this was not a little dream come true. The third Cerberus also went to him, nuzzling and rubbing her head against his chin to receive some attention as well. The Arc only had 2 hands, after all, so he had to keep switching between them. Cerberus was nearly falling asleep as she melted under his palm.
"Huh. He tamed Cerberus" Pandemonica remarked, looking at the wholesome scene before her. Jaune was so gentle with them, it was almost unbelievable. She looked over to Modeus who watched with a peaked curiosity, rubbing her head a bit. "I guess she is curious" But more than that, she was spared the trouble of telling him about his ancestors.
The Arc eventually stopped with the pats as he remembered why they were there. He pulled his hands back, making Cerberus pout cutely as they were already missing his touch.
"So, Cerberus, did you enjoy my head pats?" He asked, feeling somewhat confident for the first time since coming down here. How can't he? This girl - or was it, girls? Whatever, just melted from a head pat. If this didn't scream great success, he doesn't know what will.
"We do!" They all replied cheerfully, looking at him. "We want more! We want more!"
They shouted, but then Jaune put his hand up. The Arc didn't have a pet dog back at home, but other kids whom he used to play with did. He helped with training them, so he knew that by rewarding them too much he might encourage bad behavior.
"First, do you want to join my harem of demon girls?" Jaune asked, feeling his voice nearly break uttering those words. But Cerberus was just too cute, he couldn't get flustered as he did with Modeus. The 3 Cerberus all looked at each other, then each put on a toothy smile on their face, turning to him.
"We accept! Now pat us more!" They all shouted. Jaune chuckled and gave the dog girls what they desired, seeing them act tame under his touch. "Yes~ R-right there!"
"You know, once we return to the human world she's going to be a great way for you to train your stamina." Justice told him. "If the details of your deal with you know who are true, you will need it to catch up."
Jaune nodded. Beel did mention he might find help in Hell for his training. So if one such help implies having to keep up with Cerberus, then he is alright with that. Cerberus was just too cute, he couldn't resist her. "That's 3 more to the count"
"Only one. You see, while Cerberus might have 3 bodies, it is only one soul." Pandemonica told him, and hearing that made Jaune curse himself for jinxing it. Oh well, he still ends up with cute dog girls.
"Oh," Jaune replied, then looked at Cerberus. "It's going to take some getting used to. But before we move on is there things I should need to know about you, Cerberus? Anything important?"
The hellhound hummed as they thought, then they began to reply one after another.
"What one of us sees, hears, and smells will also apply to the others too! We share all senses except for touch!" Cerberus number 1 replied.
"We can also talk with animals!" Cerberus number 2 replied.
"And we cannot wait to corrupt the human realm!"
"Ok- wait, come again?" Jaune said, trying to see if he heard that last part correctly, but before he had the chance he was interrupted by Modeus.
"Don't mind them. They always say that but in truth, they won't be doing it. At best, they might make someone's dog go nuts." She said, then she gazed at the triplets. Something about Jaune's reaction peaked at her. Did he like those doggie ears on Cerberus? "Is it a kink?" She thought.
"Well, at least we don't need to explain their ears to anyone. They will likely pass as Faunus" Jaune replied, earning the confused looks of the demons. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"What is a Faunus?" Cerberus asked.
"You know, those people that look like humans but with animal parts on them?"
"Oh, we thought they were fake." Pandemonica replied, making the Arc stare at her with disbelief. "It is not uncommon for some demons to sometimes attach such things to souls, so we simply assumed that's always the case with them. Pranks."
"I- know what, I give up. Hell's one awful place to be in if you're human." Jaune said with a sigh.
Cerberus snickered, but then the girls perked up. "Oh! One more thing before we leave!"
Jaune turned to her, but then a loud, booming howl was heard from afar, making even the other girls get on their guard.
"You need to ask Big Bro Shade!"
"Big … Bro?" Jaune replied slowly, turning to the girls. "Please, tell me male demons are not scary."
"Actually, Cerberus is kind of a hybrid, her demon side is from her father, so … " Justice began, slowly hearing the beast coming towards them. "Yeah, good luck dude, you will need it."
"What?! Modeus, Pandemonica?" He turned to them.
"Sorry, Jaune, but the current Alpha of the Hellhounds is not someone you easily win against. And Cerberus here is his sister." Pandemonica explained, and then, at that moment, a large werewolf-like being jumped from the cliff above, catching them off-guard while Cerberus merely smiled at him. The large being, whose eyes shined with a crimson hue, landed on the souls below, crushing them under his hindlegs and claws. Jaune nearly lost his balance seeing this monster! The being before him was easily TWICE the size of his father, covered in jet-black fur.
"Big Bro Shade! This human wants to take us to the human world!" One of Cerberus' bodies replied, catching her brother's attention.
"And he wants us to join his harem too!" Another said, and Shade began to slowly walk towards Jaune, growling aggressively. Then the third body put the last nail in his coffin. "Since we accepted being part of his harem, does this mean we will mate?"
Shade let out a roar of rage as he charged toward Jaune, the boy quickly put up his shield to block a strike from his claws, but he was still pushed back quite a bit. The girls were staying on the sidelines, not wishing to get in the way of the monster.
"Damn … He has a heavy strike." Jaune said as he slowly got up, not wishing to draw his sword. Surely, this guy was intelligent, right? He seemed to understand Cerberus.
"Look, Shade, was it? I understand how you might feel, I am also an older brother, and I don't blame you for attacking me … " he hesitated a bit. "If I had it in me like that, I'd also do the same."
Shade growled at him further, Jaune keeping up his shield. However, the large Hellhound then snorted, standing straight and seemingly calming himself. "Cerberus … "
"Yes, Big Bro?" They asked.
"You were the one to accept his request, correct?" Shade turned his gaze to Cerberus.
"Yes, Big Bro! It will be fun! We also get to see the human world!" Cerberus replied, and Shade snorted, looking at Jaune before pointing at him.
"This scrub, taking MY sister to the human world?" He asked, disbelieving. "At least it takes the worry off my head and less bickering with the elders … But I do have a condition."
"And what would that be, Shade, Sir?" Jaune asked, but in hindsight, he wished he didn't.
Jaune and the demons continued their track through Hell, with Pandemonica leading the group while Jaune walked behind her with Modeus keeping a safe distance. Cerberus was with them as well, but she- or is it they? Jaune had a bit of trouble figuring out how to call Cerberus due to her condition. For now, he'll have to make due. But back to Cerberus, she was currently running around them while helping Justice navigate herself a bit better as they tried to exit the circle of gluttony.
As for Shade's condition, it is the reason the girls were staying a safe distance from him.
Shade, in order to 'put Jaune in his proper place', or some twisted canine logic like that, literally took a PISS on Jaune's HEAD. He is thankful he closed his mouth and eyes in time. Now, he was covered in the strong smell of ammonia produced by Shade, and pretty much an inferior being compared to him.
Pandemonica and Cerberus did confirm that had he put up more of a fight, Shade might have respected him a bit more and wouldn't have made him smell like a gym locker room.
Never before had he cursed his parents more - despite not liking to admit it - than now. At least some basics, but no. Too much. Too dangerous. At least now they couldn't do anything to him. Sealing one's aura back is only something acceptable for criminals with an aura, and even then those guys usually received the maximum punishment. Sealing someone's aura was a cruel thing to do and something no one in his family would ever consider doing to a loved one.
He only watched documentaries before about it, but he heard how such a thing breaks a person's will. It doesn't do away with the semblances that do not require aura that much but do weaken them. But he knew his parents would never do that to him. Never. They are not monsters to seal the aura of their own son, it was not even his choice. This came as a by-product of him receiving the demonic contract of his deceased granduncle.
Life's funny like that. However, Jaune did see what else can come from this. "Beel promised me that it is still possible. I can still be the hero I want to be. It is our contract. If I do this, if I gather this harem and return, she will be free from the Abyss and I will have more than enough help to train me. But … "
Jaune looked at the girls around him. He had to admit that he felt kinda bad. He was basically using them for his own end. God, he wished they wouldn't act so human-like either. It only makes it harder for him to do this. Maybe he should try to think of ways to make it up to them.
However, the oblivious Arc forgot one thing. Pandemonica could still read thoughts. She noticed how he looked, so lost in his mind. She read his thoughts and saw why. She couldn't help but pity him, really. It is so easy for demons to use humans for their own goals, yet here was a human feeling sorry for doing the same. Pandemonica couldn't get mad at him either. His desire to be a hero is, to some extent, admirable. She also saw how he was denied the proper training for that. Getting mad at him for using them like this would be hypocritical of her.
"Jaune? Are you ok? You have been awfully quiet." She said, trying to get the Arc to snap out of his thoughts, which he did.
"Well, apart from having a werewolf-like being use me as a urinal, I guess I was somewhat lost in thought. But, then again, you heard it, didn't you?" Jaune said as he slowly realized what he had done. He confessed to using them in his mind, so he expected Pandemonica to yell at him now and for his whole quest to fail. But he couldn't have expected what came next.
"Yes, and I want to tell you it is alright." She replied, slowing down on the steps. "We demons do the same to others, but you feel sorry about it; you have remorse. And, while I cannot say for sure, you might get to find a new reason for this endeavor other than the contract with Beelzebub." Her words struck the Arc deeply.
Jaune completely stopped in his tracks at her words. It was reassuring of her to say all of that, but it didn't mean what he was doing was still ok. "Pandemonica, I promise to you, that I will get you that coffee when we get out of here. An Arc never goes back on their word!"
He will make SURE he did. That soul back in the Circle of Gluttony was an experience to remember.
The demoness showed a light smile on her face hearing those thoughts. Sly human boy, he knew she would hear them. "I look forward to it."
"She read your mind. What did she hear? I know it was not anything naughty since I didn't hear anything." Modeus's curiosity was peaked. From behind her, the heads of Cerberus were also curiously peeking from over her shoulder, same with Justice.
Jaune chuckled at this show of cute silliness. He had to admit that when not trying to seduce him, Modeus was pretty cute herself. "Cute and hot." He thought, admitting the truth. Modeus didn't react, meaning there was not enough lust there for her to read. Victory.
"Nothing to worry about, Modeus. But I do need to ask … " Jaune felt if Pandemonica said he needed to find a new reason then he might as well start making some here. "Why do people say you are a shy one? I mean, I know Pandemonica said you are somewhat shy around romance, but that is not much to go off of."
Modeus blushed slightly at that, looking down. "Well, I guess it has to do with my heritage."
For once, she sounded pretty solemn. "I am one of the daughters of Asmodeus, the strongest lust demon in Hell. I am expected to be one as well. I can usually seduce people into my sheets, but I never get to any fun part because of my own flaws."
Jaune listened to her as she spoke, feeling somewhat bad for her. In a way, they were similar. Both had family problems. Both wanted to be like their family but couldn't.
"I don't know why, but this romance stuff just sounds a bit much, even for me."
"Well, how about I get you some books about romance once we get to the human realm?" Jaune offered.
Modeus looked at him, her heart-shaped eyes glowing a bit as she stared into his ocean-colored ones. However, she quickly retreated, looking down. "Promise?"
"Arc promise." He said it again, adding one more to the pile of promises. An Arc never goes back on their word, no matter what. They had an entire code about that as well, which he read, like his entire family, and found some rules in it to be pretty wanky. For example, it turns out wedding vows counted towards an Arc promise and even counted if you were drunk. Jaune asked about that one if it ever happened, and it turns out that, well … That is how his parents met, actually. It was one awkward talk.
"Do you promise more head pats too?" Cerberus asked as well, making Jaune chuckle before giving one of them a pat.
"Of course. An Arc never breaks their promise, after all." He flashed each of them a smile.
"How about a new pair of sunglasses for me? These ones are pretty old." Justice asked, and Jaune was quick to reply.
"Arc Promise!" He said, earning a laugh from them, even forgetting for a second he was not very clean.
It was a wholesome moment that help put them at ease. Too bad it had to be cut short.
Pandemonica cleared her throat. "Jaune, we have arrived."
The group turned to her and there it was; the next circle of Hell, which caused Cerberus to immediately sniff the air. Jaune had to admit, that there was an interesting aroma in the air. Fruits?
"It smells of berries, oranges, and Vodka. This has to be Malina! She is close!" The triple demon cheered, beginning to lead the way. Jaune and the others followed, but Jaune took notice of the circle around them.
"Hey, Pandemonica, what is it with this place?" He hoped he could get an answer from his guide.
"This area of Hell is the circle of greed. Here, the avaricious and prodigal, those who horde and spent, are tortured, made to push boulders until they hit one another under the threat of being whipped." She explained to him.
"And where is this Malina girl? I see no possible place she can be." Jaune pointed out.
"She is further in." Pandemonica replied, but then, from between the rocks, a figure came out, chanting.
"Pape Satan, Aleppe!" There, Jaune saw an old man dressed in golden robes from head to toe but looking pathetic and meek.
"Stay there, Plutus!" Pandemonica raised her voice at the demon, making him flinch.
"You dare bring a human into the realm of Lucifer? This is treason!" Plutus shouted back, pointing at Jaune.
"There is no treason here, old timer." Justice said. "After all, I am with them! I know Hell's law like the back of my hand, and I say this is all fine."
Plutus grumbled as he was put in his place, moving to the side and allowing the group to continue.
"Who was that?" Jaune asked.
"Plutus, the guardian of this circle." Modeus replied. "He is an older demon, who values gold and riches above all else. Back in the old days, he was even considered a god of wealth by humans."
"But he is also one of the weakest demons of Hell. The only redeeming quality is his ability to produce wealth if you take his deals." Pandemonica added.
"Is he going to be a problem? What if he goes to Lucifer and-"
"Relax, Jaune!" Justice replied to him, cutting him off. "As long as I am here, all is good. Plutus won't do something like that either way, he is too cowardly."
"If you girls say so … "
The group eventually reached a certain section of the circle, and upon doing so, they immediately found their target.
"And don't dare stop again!" A loud shout was heard, which attracted them all to the source. There, they found Malina standing over a soul which had a couple of glass shards in its head, bleeding as they pushed the boulder in a panicked hurry. "I swear, if I have to leave my game again, I will throw you with my own hands down to the ninth circle, got it? Fuckin' souls."
The said demoness was like the rest of the girls in his harem regarding the tail, skin color, eye color and hair color but her hair was short. Her horns were short and black. Her attire consisted of a red dress shirt with sleeves folded just below her elbows, with a buttoned black vest on top. She also wore long dress pants and three black bracelets on each wrist.
Malina turned herself, seeing the group, and arched an eyebrow seeing them.
"Modeus? Justice? Pandemonica? Heck, even Cerberus. What is with you all here? And who the fuck is the blonde boy?" She sniffed the air a bit. "And why the fuck does he smell like a hellhound took a piss on him?"
"Maybe because a Hellhound DID take a piss on him!" Justice replied on that one, making Jaune feel more and more embarrassed about the entire ordeal.
"Fucking shit, is this some kind of new punishment Lucifer came up with?" Malina asked.
"Not quite. This boy here is, actually, alive." Pandemonica replied.
"No shit? Well, that's a rare occurrence. Not new, but rare." Malina was caught a bit off guard. "Care to share what you are doing then?"
"Actually … " Jaune spoke up. "You wouldn't happen to have a human-safe shower, do you?"
Malina was reluctant but did agree to invite them to her place. A cave, like Modeus', but better equipped, having a shower for one which Jaune immediately went inside to use. Pandemonica did assure him she could make him some fresh clothes using her magic and had the old ones in a bag. As for Jaune's weapon, it was set aside until he came out of the shower.
However, among the girls, Modeus did try to sneak a peek, but she would not find it easy to do.
"And what do you think you are doing, Modeus?" Pandemonica asked her, although it was pretty obvious.
"Pandemonica, we both know one of the most important details of having a harem. The man needs a good cock if he wants to be able to do us all and do us well." Modeus replied with honesty. Luckily, the cave Malina was using was pretty large, allowing for a couple of rooms. She was currently in the equivalent of the living room, apparently playing some kind of human video game. Contraband she got by bribing Charon most likely.
"While I won't argue with you, I am not going to let you spy on him," Pandemonica said, and suddenly, Cerberus appeared behind her. "Cerberus, get her."
"Oh no … "
By the time Jaune was out, being dressed in only a towel as his new clothing was likely in the guest section, he did stumble upon Modeus, who was tied up on the floor with Cerberus around her.
He looked then at Pandemonica, who was sitting on a chair close to her. "Should I ask?"
"She tried to peep." That was all Pandemonica said before Jaune nodded and left to get dressed.
Seeing his new clothing, he checked it before putting it on. It was not as comfortable as his previous one, but all in all, it made him look pretty good if he was to say so himself. Pandemonica has pretty much made him a suit resembling theirs, composed of a white dress shirt covered by a black suit vest and black pants with some appropriate shoes. He didn't have any tie or bowtie, but it still looked pretty nice. Not what someone home would call clothing fit for an aspiring huntsman, but then again, neither was his previous clothing.
Might as well look good on his quest.
He came out of the room, letting the girls see him.
"Looking good, Jaune." Pandemonica told him first, offering a small smile.
"Can't see you, but I bet you are looking nice!" Justice added.
"You look more like us!" Cerberus said, even giving him a sniff. "Most of Big Bro's smell is out too!"
"You look … Hot." Modeus said, finally being unbound.
"Thanks, girls." Jaune replied, feeling a bit embarrassed. He looked around a bit, trying to find where Malina was but didn't see her. "Where is Malina?"
"It is almost night, so she said she would go to her room." Pandemonica replied. "You could go and try talking to her if you wish."
"Alright." He said, going to her room.
"You do realize he is totally unprepared for what is coming, right?" Justice asked Pandemonica as Jaune went to the mentioned demon's room.
"I find it funny. With a bit of luck, his aura will tank any bottle thrown at him." Pandemonica replied, watching Jaune knock at the door. Or try. He immediately heard a loud shout coming from inside the room.
"Damn it! Stupid game." That was likely Malina, from what Jaune could tell. Yet, he tried to again, knocking at her door. Sure enough, she opened it up. "What do you want?"
"Umm. Hi? I wanted to thank you for letting me use the shower and see if we, maybe, could strike up a small conversation?" Jaune told her, and Malina looked at him with a bit of skepticism at first.
"Conversation? How about you step into my room then." She told him, the boy following her inside without thinking much, and looking around. He was immediately hit with the smell of alcohol around, even seeing a small fridge filled with vodka and orange juice. Yet, he also noticed the gaming console plugged into a small TV with the game still displayed on it, just being in a GAME OVER screen asking her if she wanted to either quit or try again.
"Rough game?" He asked. Malina walked past him and sat down.
"I am on the last level. Hardest settings too. I wanted a challenge." She replied, looking over her notes. "But I have been trying for 3 weeks now, with no progress."
"Here, let me try something." Jaune said, slowly going closer to the demoness. However, Malina was not gonna let her game go easily.
"Hey! Fuck off! What do you think you're doing? Tryna touch my game?" She asked, sounding angry with Jaune's interruption.
"Just trust me, ok? " He asked again, but she was not budging. "Look, I know why you keep losing. I saw the strategy flaw."
Malina simply scoffed at that. What did a human know about her game? They were all stupid monkeys anyway, so who was he? Some kind of genius?
"Fine." She spat out, leaning herself back with her arms crossed. "If you are that stubborn to try then you might as well take a turn. You can't possibly win anyway, it is at maximum difficulty"
Jaune took a breath of relief as Malina handed him the controls. This was his favorite game, and this was a version he never played before. Heroes of Magic 3. Still, he didn't give up easily. He began to build up his strategy, trying to see what would work best. Malina raised an eyebrow seeing him work, having to admit that he was not half-bad. But she'd never admit it, let alone to a human, so she simply got a bottle of Vodka and chugged it down.
Jaune had to admit that she was not lying when she said it was at maximum difficulty. It was tough, even for him, but he was not going to give up. Forgetting about his initial quest, he focused entirely on the game at hand, trying to pull a small miracle by winning.
"Give up, scrub. I've been struggling with it for weeks and I have barely even come close-"
"Done!" Jaune shouted out, raising his hands in victory. Malina's eyes widened and looked at the screen. The boy won by a margin but still won nonetheless.
"How did you win that even? It was maximum difficulty and I've been struggling for weeks to win!" Malina looked at Jaune. The boy exhaled, calming his mind from having to go into overdrive for a bit. He then answered the demoness, who looked at him with an angry gaze. He took notice of her lips which seemed to be weirdly shaped too, but paid no mind to that.
"Well, you see, I tend to play a lot of games in my spare time, the main genre being this one." He said, making the demoness raise her eyebrow. "I must admit though, you have an awesome collection. I only have a part of the games here; Advance Wars, Civilization, Age of Wonders, Wargroove-"
Malina was listening closely to him, feeling herself grow interested in the boy. She has been looking for a partner lately for the multiplayer mode of her games. She didn't have a gaming partner, and she didn't like anyone around her well enough for that.
And there was no chance in Hell she was going to ask her sister for that. Maybe he could be her partner? He certainly had the skill and was a dedicated gamer.
"And what are your favorite games?" She was fidgeting a bit in her seat at this point.
"By far? Master of Orion is my second favorite, I can't get enough of it. But my top favorite, well … " Jaune averted his eyes to the game they just played, Malina quickly catching on to what his favorite game was.
"That's my favorite game too!" She shouted in her head, but she wanted him to say it. "Well?"
"I have all Might and Magic Hero games except the third one, but just from this one session I can say with confidence that this version is by far the best one yet-"
"Oh, just fuck me already!" Malina shouted and pounced on Jaune, unable to restrain herself further. She was getting turned on by games - a weird turn-on, but a turn-on nonetheless. Jaune didn't even have time to figure out what was going on as Malina smacked her lips against his, trying to force her tongue into his mouth. The Arc kept his teeth shut, but he could feel her breath. Vodka and oranges, an interesting mix. The demoness was aggressive, already running her hands to undo his shirt.
But alas, he was not ready for this, despite feeling her breasts already pressed against him. He pushed Malina off him, grabbing her shoulders.
"What was that!" He asked, unable to believe what just happened. Did he just get his first kiss? He expected it to take a while longer, but damn!
"What do you mean what was that? I told you to fuck me! You're a guy, isn't that what guys want all the time?" She asked, sounding angry that the Arc cut her fun short.
"I barely even know you, and I don't think I even introduced myself!" Jaune replied, a blush over his face while Malina kept a straight face.
"Well, you already know my name, so say yours." She replied.
"Jaune Arc." Jaune said, presenting himself, even if it was a bit awkward. "Now, can I let go and be sure that you won't jump on me again?"
Malina looked even more irritated. Seriously, why is this girl so sour?
"Fine. The mood is gone anyway." Jaune removed his hands from her shoulders. He must have used his aura or something because he knew demons were stronger than humans by this point. That meant that the girls were stronger than him, the only redeeming element to balance it out being his aura. "So what's a human doing down here anyway? You are not dead, that's for sure, and you are carrying a sword around. Are you coming from some cosplay event?"
Jaune chuckled hearing her say that, but she noticed and glared at him, making the Arc drown his mild amusement. He cleared his throat. "Well, you see, I am actually on a little quest to gather a harem of demon girls as part of a contract forced on me."
Malina looked at him strangely before getting another bottle of Vodka and taking a swig of it, then she looked at Jaune.
"Want some?" She asked, making the boy shake his head, denying the offer. He was underaged, after all. "Hey, this is Hell. No one will jump on your case about underage drinking, and it is no sin either. And trust me, you will need it for what comes next."
"I guess, if you insist." Jaune took the bottle from her, then slowly, he poured the liquid down his throat, but he was quick to cough as he felt the alcohol burn. "Damn, that's strong … "
"Virgin liver, I see." Malina replied as she took back her vodka. "I assume you want me to join your Harem, correct?"
"Well, that'd be nice." He answered with a hint of nervousness in his voice, his aura taking care of the alcohol.
Still, he might need to watch out when he plays games with Malina from now on. She got further than Modeus, stealing his first kiss like that. He'd lie if he said it was not a pleasant feeling, but he didn't imagine his first kiss being a drunk, gaming demon girl of all people.
"Well, I have been looking for a gaming partner for a while now. Interested?" She asked, but then she added. "I will also like to see your gaming collection later."
"Sure and no problem," Jaune replied. "I'd be more than happy to play with you when I can, Malina."
"Good. And seeing as you are a fan of strategy games too, we will have no problem."
Later, the group took off again toward their next destination, the Circle of Wrath. Malina, however, was not looking forward to it, mainly due to who was in charge of that particular circle. But she made sure to pack a good number of bottles for the road, she was already half-sober anyway.
Jaune made sure to count everyone before leaving, making sure to remember that Cerberus, despite the three bodies, counted as only one. In total, he had five demon girls in his Harem so far. He was halfway there already. Hopefully, he will get the last members he needs and be out of Hell soon.
While they walked, he did discuss with Pandemonica, asking her about the various sinners around Hell. What he saw so far were the less serious sins. The ones past the next circle and beyond were the real shitbags, from Justice's words, and are punished in the most horrible ways possible.
He hopes he won't get to see them.
"This place will do nicely," Beel said as she found a place to build the harem house at. It was a nice open area close to a pond and a good distance away from Ansel, and a considerable distance from Jaune's own house. Last she checked, the doppelganger went inside Jaune's room to lessen suspicions. She even replaced Crocea Mors with an illusion. The Arc family has no idea what their only son is truly up to and Beel was making sure it stayed that way.
Then her fly came to her ear, buzzing in it and reporting Jaune's latest success to her.
"Cerberus and Malina? I see. maybe I could get some gaming stuff for her or make it myself. The amount of stuff one can create from the Abyss is virtually limitless, after all. As for Cerberus, I think a larger room with 3 beds should suffice, but I should also prepare an outdoor area." She thought, but as she did, the bushes began to move.
Out had come a Beowolf, the creature setting its eyes on Beel and running at her from behind the demon. Beel, to her credit, paid the Grimm no mind. It was but a bug compared to her. All it took was one touch and blast of magic to blow the Grimm to pieces, but that reminded her of something else.
"Hmm. I should work on some enchantments to keep those pests away as well"