"(Shhhh… don't make too much noise. The heroes are sound asleep, but some people in the castle have a light sleep.)"
"(Don't worry, we're almost there… wow, did you expand that dream machine Morrigan talked about? How many beds are there?)"
"(Thirty two in total.)"
"(Wow… You know, that is giving me ideas…)"
"(Save them for later, one thing at a time. Let's set them up accordingly…)"
"(Wait, shouldn't we start by sending one of us in before-)"
"(Too late now! The last one to join is a wet blanket!)"
"(You're not the one who's tucking in our extra guests… why are we even bothering with them?)"
"(…Why is it so dark? I'm starting to have a doubt about her plan.)"
"(Don't worry, knowing her, she just likes to get a bit theatrical. And since all of this is a dream, she's going to push it to the absolute limit.)"
"(…This is still uncomfortable. She's not going to do weird stuff, is she?)"
"(Would you wish to define weird? She shared with me her own takes of how she entertained others, and I am ashamed to say that she has more to teach me than I have to teach her.)"
"(Shush… I can feel her coming.)"
Two light spots illuminated a spot on a stage as music started blasting from nowhere while a strong, melodious feminine voice filled the room.
"WELCOME! LADIES! AND GENTLEMEN! TO TONIGHT'S VERY SPECIAL ENTERTAINMENT!" Daji-chan sauntered at the illuminated spot in her scandalously short black idol outfit, a micro in hand. The kitsune waved around at an invisible audience that everyone could hear.
"Indeed, it has already been months since we started our latest game! During this time you saw people fighting one another, stabbing one another, and naturally fucking one another for your greatest pleasure! And oh boy, was that intense…" Daji giggled. "From those little conflicts between angels and succubi that involved fairies to that recent disaster started by a certain self-proclaimed yokai hunter, Maou knows I've seen some stuff like that has never happened in the last three thousand years of my life… but! You're not here to hear my life story, am I right or am I right?"
Thousands of clapping hands could be heard.
"Now, let's not lose any more time. I, Daji-chan, the Courtesan of Ruin, the Destroyer of Country, the One Whose Body "(pussy)" is the Graveyard of Nation and last but certainly not least, the one that will be tonight's host, declares the final showdown to find out who is the BEST BIG SISTER in the Pocket Castle OPEN!"
More enthusiastic clapping and cheering ensued.
"And without further waiting, let us introduce tonight's contestants! After months of thorough selection, comparison and analysis, they're the twelve people who most likely have a chance tonight, all of the others simply not reaching the sheer Onee-chan aura that exudes from these ones. One by one, let us welcome all of them loud and strong! The first of them could have been there simply out of popularity, but she is actually standing with us of her own credit! I'm of course talking about the Succubus Queen of this world, Alma Elma!"
A spot suddenly illuminated the Succubus Queen. Alma Elma waved at the invisible public, radiating. "Hiiii!"
"Right after her, the one that might be the single biggest threat to her reign as a succubus, this lady will show you that dreams are often reality, this is the Queen of Dreams Est Morn!"
"Ufufu…"
"Next, what would be comfort without the F from fluffy? Here comes the one who brought empires down and refined her cajoling technique enough to bring any heroes in her breasts, this is the legendary Daji!"
"Hello, hello, hello! Thank you for welcoming me!"
"(Wait, how are there two Daji?! Oh, right. Dream. I shouldn't be surprised that she used that opportunity to insert herself…)"
"(You talk about an author avatar…)
"Up after her, we have a weapon that will chain you and leave you dry, minding her two little sisters and still finding the time to Ara those little young'uns, this is the leader of the Cursed Sword Mysteltainn!"
"Good grief, so much dramatics…"
"Below the skies are the seas and their soothing song, and this one will seduce you straight in her arms, let me introduce you Meia!"
"Hello everyone!"
"She might come from the forest, but she's only wild in bed where her seductions are unmatched, for all of you elf enthusiasm here comes Lona!"
"Ufufu… little boys, hide yourselves."
"Do not let her floppy adorable ears fool you, this one lass is more than cute, this is Barbun!"
"Don't worry, big sis is here!"
"She's the middle woman of a trio, but with all her assets and care pouring from her she could as well be their own big sister, this is the succubus of dream Nemea herself!"
"Ara ara…"
"With a chest just as large as her heart, here comes the one true power guiding the minotaurs, please make your voices known for Carol!"
"Helloooooo!"
"The next one is the most experienced big sister in the castle, but don't tell her that, she might take it badly. With an experience of dealing with people and cockblocking Luka only equaled by her bitterness and her unfortunate love life, this is the hero's childhood companion, Sonya!"
"What is this? Where the hell am I?!"
"Following her she's known as the big sis of all angels, and even if she's severe she will still cajole all of them, this the third of Ilias's seraphim and the one who still stuck to her when everyone bailed, Eden!"
"I'm not the third! And what is this twisted ploy you demons are running?! It shall fall by my end!"
"And last but certainly not least, thanks to a lot of effort from her sister we got this one very special guest joining us tonight for this competition, and it would have been a shame if she missed with all of her millennia of experience and skills developed by cuddling men to death, please welcome the one, the only, the legendary Lilith!"
"Myyyy, thank you all for such a warm welcome."
"(Actually, she jumped in as soon as the idea grazed Morrigan's mind.)"
"(Of course she did. I suppose Daji-chan just likes her theatrics. That, and she won't pass on an opportunity to bring Morrigan down by using Lilith if something goes wrong with her game.)"
"Now…"
"Wait!" Eden walked up to a smiling Daji-chan, absolutely fuming while glaring at the lined-up contestants. "I refuse to do anything with… with… with those WHORES!"
"None of these whores are as exposed as you are, my dear." Daji-chan answered while smiling still. "Are you saying that you give up your place? That would be a shame, I don't have anyone to fill the spot. Do you think you're not a good sis?"
"Yes! I mean no!" Eden barked as much as she spoke, spittle flying from her mouth. "It doesn't matter! I will expose your ploys and you shall be removed of the Pocket Castle accordingly!"
Daji-chan giggled. "Gentlemen, it looks like we already have an abandon!" She leaned toward Eden, fully displaying a malicious fanged smile on her face while her voice took on a lascivious yet threatening tone. "But tell me, little seraph… do you understand that the rules no longer apply to you now that you left the game?"
She stepped aside, allowing Eden to see several pairs of glowing eyes locked on her. The seraph flinched at the hungry looks the succubi were throwing at her. Daji-chan stepped around her to whisper in her ear.
"If you want to leave, you just have to say I'm inferior to my big sisters."
Eden gritted her teeth. At first, the seraph didn't want to say it, but Lilith making a single step in her direction was enough to send her in a panic.
"I'm inferior to my big sisters! Iminferiortomybigsistersnowgetmeoutofhere!"
"Well, that's too bad…" Daji-chan got back in the spotlight, micro in hand. "Say goodbye to Eden everyone, and let's give her all of our congratulations for admitting her inferiority!" Daji-chan snapped her fingers, making the seraph disappear.
"Wait. I'm quitting as well."
Sonya stepped forward. Daji once again threateningly leaned forward, her hot breath reaching the priestess' ear.
"Oh? Do you want to bring us down as well? To reveal our innocent little game to everyone and attempt to make us pariahs?"
"No, you're free to do what you want, I don't care about that." Sonya closed her eyes in lassitude. "You're not hurting anyone, you're just having some obscene fun between you. I just don't want any of it. I'm inferior to my big sisters."
Daji flinched back with a decomposed expression. She didn't expect the priestess to be so straightforward and understanding.
"…You didn't actually need to say that, I just wanted to mess with that stick-in-the-mud of a seraph." The kitsune reassumed her peppy idol persona. "And just like that, two people have been eliminated before the first trial! Say good bye to Sonya everyone!" Daji-chan clicked her fingers, making the priestess disappear. "And don't worry, they won't remember a thing about who or what happened in this dream! This measure is just basic contingency here, no need to thank me!"
"Now, without further ado, I know all of you are going to be disappointed, but I'm not the one who will gauges our performers tonight (if only because I'd give the win to that sexy fluffy vixen)."
Several disappointed jeers echoed from the crowd.
"But don't worry! I found the perfect substitute! Who's better to judge a big sis than a little brother in need of one? Than a young soul who will enjoy being cajoled, being accompanied, being taken care off by an onee-chan? Without further ado, please make your voices known for the Heroes of the Seven World!"
Several spotlights illuminated a large scene where Luka, Kazuya, Hakunen, Lest, Lauratt, Lars and Novissa were wallowed on chairs.
"Look at them… they're exhausted from their latest adventures, completely on their knees, begging for some good care! Don't you all just want to rush and cuddle them? And this will indeed be the object of our first trial! You must show that you're the best at pampering your little brother (prey), only by comforting them with their body and words, all that in a non-sexual fashion! Here is how we will proceed… one after the other, you will choose a hero and take care of him appropriately… the one who brings out the best, most pathetic reaction of her quarry will win! And if you make your partner flee you, then you automatically lose!"
"Let us get started! I want some serious ara-ara from our big sisters, to see them comfort their exhausted cute little brothers… everyone, show me that you have what you take to be the best big sister!"
[…]
"Don't worry, the world might look scary, but big sis is here..."
"There, there, relax… everything is going to be okay."
"Come, big sis will bury you in her pull-over… doesn't it look incredibly soft?"
"Let me hug you… it looks like you need it."
"Awww… don't worry, I'll always be here for you."
"….mmmh, that's not right. Better! Don't you now want to jump in the chest of big sis?"
"What a cute little boy… fufufu, don't worry, big sis will protect you again all those villainous dangers."
"D'aaaawwwwww… let's snuggle together!"
[…]
"And after that incredibly comforting display of sisterly tenderness, the results are in! I regret to announce that Lona, Meia and Nemea are eliminated for using magic to make the heroes look younger."
"But the heroes are now so cuuuuuute!" Lilith jumped at their defense with puppy eyes.
"Yes, yes, maybe, but that doesn't change the fact that they violated the rules. No magic in the first round, even to make the heroes younger and therefore cuddlier! That's cheating!"
Jeers erupted from the crowd.
While Nemea and Meia each released a single disappointed ara, Lona indignant exclaimed herself. "Are you [BLEEP]-ing me?"
"Mmmh? What was that? Swearing is forbidden, dearie, they don't make for good ratings. Unless it's sexual. Then you can swear all you want."
The dark elf was panting in rage. "In that case, you can go F-"
Daji-chan clicked her fingers mid-sentence, muting the elf who wasn't realizing that no word was coming from her mouth. "You know, that's a bit sad to lose so many people on such a frivolous technicality… but the rules are the rules! And also, transforming them in children is a bit creepy!" She giggled. "Luckily, they physically held back or I don't think any rating could have fit for our program… doing it with kids is just plain wrong."
Daji raised her hand. "Didn't we do it after transforming Kazuya?"
"That was only one time, normal-chan. And it wasn't canon. Fortunately, we're in a dream and we can easily turn them back to normal." She snapped her fingers, making the victim heroes turn back in their exhausted selves. "Tadaa!"
"(Are we really seeing Daji argue with herself about whether she molested a younger version of Kazuya?)"
"(I think Promestein has a video of it on her hard drive for… science purpose. I hope.)"
"But in any case, give it out loud and strong for Meia, Lona and Nemea! They deserve all your encouragement for simply making it here tonight, and maybe we'll see them do even better next time!"
The three girls disappeared backstage under a rain of praises, leaving only seven girls in front of the idol.
"What an incredible convenience! We have as many heroes as we have contenders for what's coming up! Is it the sign of something? It doesn't matter, let's not keep our public waiting! It is time for the second trial! A big sister shouldn't be just skilled at comforting her little brother. She must also make sure he behaves responsibly. And for that, she must be skilled at scolding him appropriately! It requires a delicate balancing hand, as he needs to understand he did wrong, but he's a frail being that can also be traumatized if his big sister lashes out! Find the good balance to make him change his behavior! Now, who wants to get started?"
The candidates looked at each other. "That would be easier if they had done something bad, wouldn't it?"
Daji ominously smiled. "Oh, don't worry about that. It's just waiting to happen."
Alma Elma shrugged and stepped forward. A quick whiff of Luka's smell informed her that the hero had debased himself with other monsters and broke their heart.
"Luka, you've been bad!" Her foot tapped the ground while she crossed her arms under her chest. "There better not be a next time!"
"S-sorry."
Her turn starting, Est approached Kazuya. "Ara ara… you've been disappointing big sis. Keep doing that, and I will punish you, ufufufu…"
"…" Kazuya gulped in arousal.
Barbun didn't say anything. Instead, the bunny girl looked disappointed at Hakunen who looked down in shame. Even after she left, the monk boy looked depressed. She then returned, offered a small sympathetic smile, and he promised that he wouldn't do anything bad again.
Lilith looked at Novissa and tilted her head with a crestfallen sigh, passing a hand in her hair. "Damn it… it's such a shame… don't disappoint me again. I know you're better than that." Novissa sat down in shame.
Carol frowned and walked straight to Lest who flinched in apprehension. She grabbed his head and forced him against her chest for a small minute, ignoring the confused muffles before releasing him from her soft mounds in an audible bounce.
Mysteltainn loudly called out to Lars, her glare freezing the hero in place. "Next time you do that, I'll suck you completely dry!" Her sentence was punctuated with a large number of chains appearing in a metallic storm. Lars ran away, terrified by the display of power. However, he quickly reappeared in his spot after being magically teleported.
And finally, Daji looked at Lauratt with a carnivorous smile, strutting around her prey with a feline gait. "Lauratt, Lauratt, Lauratt… don't act so foolish next time, or you might come to regret it. It would be a shame if you were left alone, wouldn't it?"
"Myyyy, wasn't that phenomenal! Whatever are the results, I think we can all agree that it was truly something epic to behold! Sometimes, it nearly made me want to get scolded by one of those big sis, wouldn't you agree? And the results are in!" Daji-chan showed an envelope under the spotlight.
"(Can't she keep her presentation coherent?)"
"(Ask the water to not wet…)"
"(Or a succubus to not rape…)"
"(Hey, did you forget who you're talking to?)"
"(I didn't say that it was a bad thing.)"
"In a somewhat impressive twist, only one monster did not pass! However, one of them did the unanimity among our jury, and it is Barbun! Give her a round of applause! But she mustn't get too comfortable, as Alma Elma and Lilith are veeery close on her heels, followed by Daji! And unfortunately for them, lagging quite behind, are Carol and Est who've been seen too soft and whose little brothers are asking for more!"
"Awww…" Both monster started pouting.
"And unfortunately, to my big regret, we have to exclude Mysteltainn!"
"Damn it…" The elder of the Cursed Sword Sisters repositioned her glasses. "I suppose I'm too used to Ogretooth and Executioner who can take everything I throw at them."
"And I hope you're not literal!" Daji-chan sympathetically wrapped her arm around Mysteltainn to bring her uncomfortably closer. "However, I'm afraid you did more than make your poor victim cry. You pushed him just a tad too far."
Mysteltainn regretfully sighed. The kitsune quickly returned to her usual happy self.
"But this was still a performance for the age, and everyone should applaud Mysteltainn again!" The white-haired succubus left in the dark and disappeared. "Now let's continue! Whether you're first or last, nothing is played yet! The third challenge is pure temptation! A big sis must be inviting, someone that a little brother will naturally walk toward for a hug after a rough day. So the challenge is simple. Our jury will be thrown in the middle of our contestants each at equal distance from them and one another, and whoever the heroes have spent the most time with after five minutes is the winner! Anything can go as long as you keep your partner free to leave at any time! Promise to cajole them, go hog wild with your pheromones, use every seduction spell or even spread those thick legs, every weapon that can ensnare someone is fair…"
"(There's no way it's not going to degenerate in an orgy.)"
"(It totally will.)"
"Ready? Then everyone get into position! Get set! GO!"
"Heeey, why don't all of you come here to have fun with big sis?"
"Who wants to cuddle with me? I swear, I will be extra-nice for the first one of you boys who come…"
"Come here, my fluffy tails can and will satisfy all of you!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, what an impressive match this is! I would jump in myself if I didn't have to announce for it it!"
"(And I hope also because there is the non-negligible chance it would result in some self-cest.)"
"(She's so much of an egomaniac she probably doesn't see anything wrong with that.)"
"(I don't.)"
"(Eww, Est. Ewwww.)"
"Look at all those confused heroes! Look at them wandering like zombies, their minds split as they try to find which big sis will give them the best hug! The arena is absolutely flooded with magic and pheromones, they may very well end up collapsing on the spot with nosebleeds! …which in fact they just did! This is one hell of an awkward result!" Daji-chan continued her announcement her usual boundless energy. "But ladies and gentlemen, we have an unexpected twist! It looks like all that magic was too much for our poor beasts to handle! The horny bunny and the motherly cow are now all over Lilith!"
"Does anybody have a crowbar to pry them away from me?" The succubus was buried under both monsters, Barbun even desperately humping her leg. Even then, she sounded barely annoyed. "I don't mind taking the company of monsters as well, but I would have rather enjoyed a vigorous hero, and I'm the kind who prefers them one at a time in the first place."
"Aaaah, but that would be the second part of that trial, my dear… Daji-chan nodded with a huge grin. "A big sister also has to know how and when she has to make that clingy little brother drop her and go away gently! Did I forget to mention that it would be a two-part challenge?"
"(Fucking foxes.)"
"I heard that, and while it won't be a trial, I will try to see if I can make some place for that on my agenda. Now, I'm curious as to how lady Lilith will remove those two little sisters desperate for affection without breaking their heart! Aren't you all?"
"Good grief…"
"(This is not much of a challenge if you can use Demon Eyes to make them fall asleep…)"
"(They're already asleep actually... I think that made things even worse. Their grip got even stronger. Did you already try to remove a sleepy lover from you?! This is nigh-impossible!")
"(This is why I reduce them to dried fish. That, and it saves from an awkward post one night stand morning. Don't you do the same?)"
"(Touché.)"
"Aaah? It looks like Lilith sent them in the deepest sleep she reasonably could without killing them. What an attentive big sis" Daji-chan grimaced when she heard a sinister crunching sound, her ears flattening themselves on her head. "Never mind the not-killing part. Yes, you did heal them afterward and you didn't break their heart, only their bones, but still... yeowch. And the winner and sole scorer of that round is the legendary Lilith! Now let's wake up those heavy sleepers for the next and last round. The results are incredibly close, it is an enigma who will win!"
The invisible crowd deliriously clapped and cheered.
"Now, for the final round, a big sister has to show that she's reliable not only to her little brother, but to their mother as well! After all, she takes responsibilities for two, and has to show it, which will be tonight's last goal! They will have to guide themselves and their little brother through a list of incredibly mundane tasks prepared by their mother! However, since I couldn't get the parents to participate, I have instead prepared a more standard universal authority figure because I know the real deals might get me beaten up by some of our contestants that should please stop glaring at me!"
Lilith and Alma Elma aggressively snarled at Daji-Chan. Then the two succubi snarled at each other like cats yowling over a territory. The kitsune continued uninterrupted. "Now before those two kill each other, let me introduce you to our grandma that needs some help! She's old, she's accusing her age and needs all of your help! Hidden under that thick robe is Vina!"
A small trembling human silhouette appeared under a spotlight and another thunder of applause.
"(D'aaaw! Look at that Vina! She looks so cute! She's actually a cute little monster in disguise!)"
"(Huuuh, Carol? Stay away from her.)"
"(But whyyyyy? She looks so huggable, I want to reach her and cuddle her against my chest with all my strength!)"
"(Because that's Vinum in a grandma robe. And she's NOT loving it.)"
"(Oh [BLEEEP])"
"What was that my dears?" Vina asked in an obviously forced quavering voice that still carried her ability to rip someone's head off. "I'm afraid I'm growing old and my hearing isn't as good as it used to be! You have to speak louder!"
Lilith ended up being the first to step forward. "What can we do for you, oba-sama?"
"Well, my dears, my pantry is empty and I'm too exhausted to do the shopping between two nappies." Daji smirked at her script, earning herself a burning glare from the small succubus. "So I want you two to do it instead, here's the list and ten-thousand gold. I need all of this before midnight."
"That will be easy as pie, do not you worry!"
"(Watch out for the catch though…)"
"First, let us spin those wheels to see what our legendary duos will be? And who will be the unlucky hero who will end up alone? And the first duo is… Carol and Kazuya!"
"(Yes! Big sis will take good care of him!)"
"Followed by Alma Elma and Lars!"
"(Huh. I wish I could spend more time with that handsome hunk when he's full of energy.)"
"Hakunen will have the chance to be accompanied by Barbun."
"(Fufufu… I'm sure little brother will be happy…)"
"Daji will be accompanied by Lest!"
"(That will be the perfect occasion to wanton that swordsman…)"
"We have a dream duo with Luka and Est!"
"(Araaaaaa… Or should I go hora instead?)"
And the last duo is… Lilith and Lauratt!
"(…He's dead.)"
"(Yep. He totally is)"
"(You're not supposed to agree, Lilith.)"
"(I~. Don't~. Care. ~)"
"And so the final challenge is starting! Will our valorous big sisters successfully complete their shopping list? Will they succeed in protecting their cute little brothers against the dangers lurking in the city? Or will they succumb to the numerous temptations offered by the night city? First, a commercial break from our sponsor! Back to the studios!"
The applause exploded again before gradually calming down until they completely stopped, leaving the room bathed in a neutral light. Vinum spat as much as she talked.
"When you told me about your plans, at no moment did you tell me about me having to. Wear. This."
"Oh, please shush yourself!" Daji-chan made a dismissive gesture. "This is a small price to pay for all the books I brought you, isn't it? You can take off those clothes, there's no chance you'll need them again."
"Mmph." Vinum pouted and got back in her signature succubus outfit. "I thought I would enjoy it, but I find this entertainment extremely childish. Do you even intend to crown someone else than yourself victorious?"
"That's a secret.~" Daji-chan made a victory sign in front of her eyes. "But still, thank you for coming. I originally wanted to bring Hecate here, but I'm afraid her presence would have been enough to start another mess, to say nothing of her personality."
Vinum haughtily huffed again. "I understand why. That was just insulting of you. And given what you said, I believe I have no reason to stay here and I shall return to my work immediately."
"Wanna fuck Novissa before you leave?"
"I can actually spare a few hours."
Commercial break:
"Are you tired of that same life of spending all day toiling in the fields to get back to an ungrateful family? Do you wish to stop hearing your boss complaining that you're a good for nothing? Did you finally realize that the life in the army is mostly boring? Then come join Succubus Village! With an ever-increasing company, you will have dozens of succubi ready to help you relax! They will offer you all the sex you need, and it will be the only thing you want! Don't hesitate! Go to Succubus Village today, and please join us in a session of endless fun! You will never have to work a single day again! If you're lucky, you will even be given additional burst drinks to increase your endurance! Hurry up and sign now! The first fifty people will even get to enjoy the presence of the Queen of Dreams and live their greatest sexual fantasy!"
Succubus Village… because the goal of life is pleasure.*
*The denizens of Succubus Village are not responsible for the consequences of a prolonged stay, which may include but are not limited to: sexual addiction, serious health deterioration, complete destruction of their social and professional life, refusal to do any other activity apart from having sex with succubi, and being drained to death.
Have fun irresponsibly. We will always welcome you and all of your friends anytime you want."
"Alright! It has already been one hour since we started, let's see how our cute duos are doing!"
"It looks like Carol couldn't quite protect Kazuya against those swarms of wandering succubi! did she get so engrossed in her shopping she's forgotten him? It looks like he won't forget that night!"
"Alma Elma and Lars are doing surprisingly fine, the Succubus Queen's will and skills keeping the both of them straight on their path! An impressive feat given the numerous opportunities surrounding them!"
"I wish I could say the same of Barbun and Hakunen, that bunny girl having somehow lost all of their money by gambling and forcing them both to prostitute themselves! What a tragic ending! …if only it didn't look so deliberate! Barbun's is visibly enjoying it! And Hakunen's just used to it!"
"And I can't quite see that beautiful vixen and her boy-toy, but I can see a dark mess on the street! It looked like she just delegated the shopping to her familiars while forcing Lest to… do some handholding? With fingers locked? What a degenerate! There are children watching!"
"Est has gone full inception and is giving Luka a dream within a dream to have him live his wildest fantasy! Which somehow involves the hero Heinrich watching! …and fighting! Get your mind out of the gutter, they're just fighting side-by-side!"
"And finally, Lilith is… currently riding Lauratt like she's been doing for the past hour! What stamina, what an opportunist, using this dream to fulfill her own desire!"
"(Aren't you one for talking?)"
"(Shush Vinum, you're not supposed to be part of the show.)"
"It looks like they're all quite in the pickle! Is any of them going to win? Stay tuned to see more!"
[…]
"And after three hours, the results are in! The winner of this final round and the only one successful, is none other than the Succubus Queen, Alma Elma!"
The Succubus Queen pumped her fist in the air.
"(There… there, it's okay… we'll have more fun later anyway.)"
"I never imagined the competition would be that close and impressive! This is a shame we're in a so closed committee! This was so incredibly, maybe I'm going to share everything!"
"(You better not or I'm getting beheaded again.)"
"(…Wow, you're taking cognitive dissonance to a whole new degree. Also how are you still alive if you got beheaded?)"
"(Don't. Ask. Please.)"
"One thing is sure, they all gave their best, let us applaud them again! But to their misfortune, there can be only one best big sister tonight, and it looks like our jury is hot on debating it! I can't wait to hear what their conclusions are!"
The heroes themselves were just lying on the floor, half-asleep and visibly still exhausted. There wasn't a word shared between them. Daji-chan once again approached them with a light, skipping step. "Mmh-mmh? Maybe they need a little more motivation from their big sis? I wouldn't mind joining myself!"
"(…that was your goal all along, wasn't it Daji?)"
"(Hey, I'm not responsible for everything idol-chan does! I wouldn't mind being the only one to fuck them all at the same time!)"
"(Good grief, you're so troublesome… you better not give yourself the best big sis title!)"
"(Nuh-huh. Wait… something's off.)"
Before Daji-chan could reach the heroes with her groping hands, Lauratt nonchalantly got up and stared at her, all trace of exhaustion gone from his face. All eyes on him, the magus offered a cold, devilish smirk that made the girls flinch in fear. Then without a word, Lauratt snapped his fingers and made all of the heroes disappear.
The dumbfounded crew looked at the place where the heroes were a minute earlier. None of them had seen that coming. However, Daji-chan quickly got back and enthusiastically screamed in her micro.
"What an impressive twist! It looks like one of those little brothers had enough energy to play one last prank on their big sister! But don't you worry, we will catch up to them in no time! So don't change channel because after that one commercial break, you will find out with us who they've chosen as the best! Big! Sister! Eveeeeeeer! Back to you the studio!"
Another explosion of clapping echoed before the lightning changed to a more neutral level. Daji-chan instantly dropped her idol persona.
"Alright, we're done now, let's move on and get Lauratt before he gets too far."
[…]
"I said we're done! Logging off! Stop the dream!"
"…"
"Est, seriously, why isn't that machine stopping?! We need to get a hold of Lauratt before he tattles on us."
"He's mute and after what I did to him, I'm sure he won't tell anything."
Alma Elma shushed Lilith while the Queen of Dreams answered Daji with a shrug.
"Why are you asking? You need someone to control your program, and since you didn't link yourself, it automatically took the first person that entered the dream. Which in this case was Lauratt. Since that cute morsel has experience with dreams, he was bound to pick on hints and find a way out.
Daji-chan dropped her mic on the ground. "Wait, WHAT?! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING BEFORE?!"
Est pouted and crossed her arms under her chest, turning away in a huff. "…I thought you remembered it."
"Don't tell us we're stuck here!"
Est huffed again. "No. That little scientist added a measure in case control was lost, everyone would automatically be logged out after a time."
"Perfect! Alma Elma's wings flapped in relief. Soo, we just have to wait for… how long again?"
"Fifteen minutes."
"…Ooooooooooooh… shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit." Daji-chan passed both hands in front of her face. "Well, fucked for fucked, who wanna have fun?"
Lilith giggled. "Oh, you're such worrywarts. He let us have our fun, do you really believe he would sell us out?"
It started with a quick eye thrown in the small interstice to the dark room where the dream machine was. Someone heard Rami gasp in shock before she left in a hurry. The imp reappeared a few minutes later, accompanied by Succubus who was gently yet firmly castigating her.
"Rami, we appreciate you besides your prank, not because of them. You won't be a good succubus if you keep up with those lies…" The mouth of Succubus remained opened hanging as she observed the content of the dark room through the small interstice. "…sweet Dark Goddess…" Succubus disappeared again.
"It looks like I was right. Technically… Lauratt didn't sell us."
"Shut. The. Fuck. Up. Shut the fuck up. Please."
A few muffled voices started echoing on the other side of the door, a particularly raspy authoritative one coming out from the lot.
"Are you sure about what you saw? I do not want to doubt you, but even after the more off beat events that plagues those weeks, this one just sound completely out there."
"The door is locked… I'm starting to get happy that Luka wanted me to practice those thief skills."
"Speaking of, did anybody see him? I thought the heroes wanted to rest after that disaster."
"No, sorry… also, whoever sealed that door close definitively wanted to keep it closed! I need to do some magic dispels as well, aaaaand… voilà!"
The door finally opened wide, flooding the room with light and allowing the group led by Alice, Mephisto and Morrigan to fully take in the scene inside.
"Good grief, you gotta be fucking kidding me!"
The ten monsters that had participated in the last dream were each stuck to their bed, covered with an incredibly large amount of silver duct tape. They had been completely immobilized. The most they could do was turning their head a bit.
"We have quite some troublemakers here… Daji, Alma Elma, Est, Mysteltainn, and… Lilith? What the hell are you doing here?!"
The eldest of the Lilith Sisters coolly answered. "I was starting to get worried about the lack of news from Morrigan and decided to check on her. Surely you won't blame a big sis of being worried for her family?"
"Hey!" Morrigan released a subdued snarl. "Come on! It's obvious that you decided to have some fun and kept me out of it! Not cool, sis. Not. Cool."
"Why are you saying that? It's thank to you that Lilith is here today!" Daji smirked. Alice and Mephisto threw accusing glances at Morrigan.
"Oh, come on! I had no idea Lilith was here! Are you really going to believe Daji over me?!"
As nobody relented, Morrigan threw her arms up in defeat. "Argh, whatever! Do you want me to free everyone or what?! It looks like they're bound with some of Promestein's duct tape, and I want to see you remove it painlessly without aura powers!"
"Mmh." Carol hummed to herself. "No wonder Lilith was that good with a little sister like that. She had the experience"
"What are you talking about Carol? What did you all do?" Carol's companions glared at the minotaur who realized too late her loquacious mistake. Alice shook her head, then noticed that a paper had been taped on the core of the machine itself. Her curiosity pushed her to grab it and read it aloud.
"What's that? The writing is ugly, it definitively looks like Luka's… Morrigan is innocent, thanks for your company, but the winner is Sonya for not wanting anything to do with you, and thanks to you I'm going to get her a nice gift..." Alice shook her head, even more confused than before. What did you perverts all do? Where's Luka?"
Daji decided to take back control of the situation before it could be turned against her again.
"Oh, don't worry… we just had some harmless fun between us comparing our chest size, nothing more! Now…" Alice noticed a look of distress on the face of Daji for a split second as the kitsune shifted, then the huge fox looked actually sorry. "…I admit, I'm the mastermind behind the idea of a little competition of ours. I'm the sole responsible."
"Daji taking responsibility for a prank… can someone check if the sky collapsed outside?"
Succubued turned away. "I'll do it."
"Oh come one! I just know when to admit my defeat! This isn't the first time I give up! You even have me imprisoned, at your mercy, you should be happy! Just check the recordings and you'll see!"
"There's no recording." Mephisto was fiddling with the machine. "Whoever trapped you took those with them."
"Whatever, I'm already tired of it." Alice sighed in lassitude. "I don't know if I preferred it back when-"
Mephisto loudly sneezed. She took a tissue out while apologizing. "Sorry. I suffer from the flu."
"Since when the flu can hit you?"
"Since forever. I'm just usually better at hiding my symptoms."
Taking the hint, Alice corrected herself while avoiding looking in the eyes of any succubi. "As I said, I preferred it back when there were less people to deal with. Lilith, warn us next time you come or pass the message through your sister."
"Of course. Please do not exercise your revenge on her. I came here of my own chief."
Morrigan quickly and painlessly removed the duct tape from her sister with her psychic powers. Once freed, Lilith stretched herself a bit, moaned with enough sensuality to arouse even Alice, and bowed before leaving.
"You better be just as careful with me." Alma Elma was glaring at Morrigan who diligently obliged. "…but I admit those aura powers of yours are quite useful."
While all the other monsters imprisoned were oscillating between enthusiastic and grateful, Daji was alternating between her usual smug condescending attitude and outbursts of alarm that didn't go unnoticed by everyone else.
"Alright, now on to the mastermind!" Morrigan's hands stopped glowing for a moment. "A little hand will be appreciated to catch her just in case she tries anything."
Daji chuckled, but her voice betrayed her unusual stress. "Try freeing me. See what happens."
"…I admit, that doesn't inspire confidence."
"Alright then…" Several more monsters surrounded the bed of Daji. The kitsune threw a surprisingly pleading look at her fellow competitors, but their focused expression made it clear that they wouldn't go easy on her. "On the count of three. One…"
"Do you really think you'll be able to catch me? I only need one chance to go free!"
"This is why we won't let you go. Two…"
"Then why don't you leave me here? You already got me imprisoned! I repeat, I'm at your mercy!"
"We can't see what you're doing with your hands. THREE!"
Morrigan pulled out the duct tape from Daji, freeing the kitsune.
Even if they were all at the ready, not a single monster jumped on her.
Instead, they all stared.
Then they laughed.
From the exhausted Alice to the always serious Mysteltainn, every single monster started laughing uncontrollably. Alma Elma and Morrigan were only holding up thanks to supporting each other. Mephisto decided that basic decency could be damned and was rolling on the floor.
"Pfwahahahah! Sweet Dark Goddess! Lilith left too early!"
Daji was slowly panting in fury. A part of her wanted to explode at her companions, but she simply didn't have the energy. She wanted to leave dignified, but even then she simply couldn't. The best the kitsune could do was slink away shamefully under the salvos of mockery.
Alice cleared out a tear from her face as she was gasping for air. "Wewww… I didn't know how much I needed that. Everything's solved I guess."
Sonya was currently on cloud nine.
The priestess of Ilias was accompanying the hero in a date that HE had initiated in the city of Remina in that other world, far of any would be disturbance. She had been so surprised by how forward he had been that she had nearly declined at first. Even after accepting, she had spent the first few minutes expecting just have to help him in a fight, to be ambushed by monsters for a prank, or worse, for the hero to act like a dense novel protagonist and fail to acknowledge her attempts at affection.
And instead, the date was going more than swimmingly. They had strolled through the legendary ancient city in a somewhat relaxing calm, and the heroes only had eyes for her. After taking their time enjoying the exceptional architecture, the two of them landed in a restaurant frequented by a lot of couples.
"The bill is on me. Take everything you want." Sonya spent as much time looking at the menu than she did looking at the other couple. She would probably never be anything like that with Luka, but still, she enjoyed with a small relaxed moan the opportunity to unwind with the hero for the moment.
I'm a bit jealous of all those couples… I don't think I'll ever get to be like that with Luka. Bah, I'll take everything I can get.
After a while, as they tasted their food, Sonya blew on her food a bit.
"Is there a problem with your plate?"
"No… it's not just hot, it's quite spicy, there's a lot of ginger." Sonya chuckled. "But it's good, and people say that it gives a lot of energy."
Luka chuckled back. "Yeah… I reserved the royal room at the inn tonight for that."
Sweet fucking mother Ilias, he even noticed that one!
And indeed, after their copious shared meal, the hero and the priestess ended in an incredibly luxurious room at the inn where a large package was waiting with an inscription reading for Sonya. The priestess was excitedly jumping up and down in excitation while squealing at its sight.
"No way! Luka, is this really for me?!"
The hero nodded with a smile. "I hope you will like it."
Sonya enthusiastically opened the box to reveal an incredibly fluffy purple fur coat. Its texture was incredibly soft, but somewhat familiar. Sonya was trembling with joy, feeling like a little girl at christmas. However, something familiar with the texture made her uncomfortable. She slowly turned toward Luka, her smile somewhat wavered.
"Wait… don't tell me this is…"
"Check the bottom of the box."
Sonya carefully leaned forward to see what Luka was talking about. At the bottom of the box, the priestess could see a picture of a sleeping Daji. Her wondrously fluffy tails had been reduced to pathetic rat-like stubs after being shaved. Dumbfounded, she looked up again to see Luka stroking a bushy purple beard.
"Is her gift to madam's taste?"
Sonya exploded into laughter, hitting the bed with her fist repeatedly as she was bent over trying to breath. When she calmed down, an evil grin appeared on her face.
"Oh, sweet goddess! If only I could see her face! That was seriously wicked! What decided you to do it? And how?!"
Luka shrugged and pulled his beard off. "She deserved it. I caught her in her latest prank and got some help. It's incredible how everyone was motivated to get some revenge on her. Sooo, do you like it?"
"It's amazing… I'll keep it forever just to remember that day. The priestess put it on, shivering at the soft touch. "Mmmh, I can feel her spirit possessing me to do bad things with you…"
"Oh noooo…" Luka dramatically raised a hand to his head and fell on the bed. "I can't resist now! What should I do?"
"Too late, watch out! Big sis Sonya is coming to suck you dry!"
Best big sis indeed.