Chapter 33
As Makoto and Mercury shared their moment together, somewhere else in the city, the Succubus was currently seducing another poor victim.
Being allowed entrance into his room, the Succubus walked right in. Soon, she began her feeding ritual.
Meanwhile, in the forest with Mercury and Makoto, the two were basking in their shared pleasure. Kissing, touching, moaning. The two gave everything they had and more into this moment. With the loud noises of the waterfall hiding most of their own noises, it wasn't enough to mask them entirely.
Soon, the two basked in the feeling of their shared ending. As the two smiled at one another, the Succubus was eagerly digging into her current victim.
Sending blood, guts and other body parts around the room, she didn't care.
She was just enjoying her meal.
Leaving once most of him was gone, the Succubus wiped her mouth before looking down at her hand. Blood began to emerge from the center of her palm, dripping off her hand and splattering to the floor. However, once she blinked, all the blood returned into her palm.
Looking back into the room, the Succubus extended the index finger on her left hand. After a moment, the fingernail grew, turning razor sharp. Raising her right hand, the Succubus cut open her palm before sending the blood splattering across the room.
Within moments, the entire room was embraced by flames.
"Interesting." The Succubus thought to herself. "I've never devoured anyone with blood magic before. I wonder what power *that* one would provide me."
Minutes later
Using Mercury's cloak to dry themselves off, per his offer, Makoto and Mercury shared brief glances, smiling as their eyes met each time. Makoto was shutting Mercury out, her thoughts still lingering on the experience the duo shared.
And Mercury was doing the exact same.
With Makoto illuminated by the blue specs of water in the air, as well as the moonlight, made her look like an angel. She was absolutely stunning, and Mercury counted himself lucky to bear witness to such a sight.
In this instant, Mercury thought, for a brief moment, how much of a Goddess Makoto appeared.
(You're staring.) Makoto said, averting her gaze as her face remained a bright red. However, her hair showed a different emotion than before. Instead of pink, her hair was now a gorgeous, firey red.
Suddenly, Makoto let out a suppressed sneeze.
(You okay?) Mercury asked as the two began to get dressed.
(Yeah.) Makoto nodded. (We're definitely coming back here.) She stated. (This was too much fun.)
"Absolutely." Mercury agreed. "We have to come back."
Once dressed, the two began heading back to the mansion.
Once there, the two headed off to bed. As soon as their bodies felt the bed, the duo fell asleep almost instantly, comfortable in each other's embrace.
The following day: Noon
Having heard about the latest victim, Mercury and Makoto showed up together, while Satella and Daenerys opted to stay at the mansion.
Heading up the stairs, Mercury led Makoto. Having already seen what this creature was capable of, Mercury didn't want Makoto to witness anything similar.
"Let me." Mercury told her before entering the room. Alone.
Seeing the charred remains, Mercury questioned if this was even the same thing that did this.
Activating his "Recall" ability, Mercury's eyes glowed blue as ghostly figures appeared before him, recreating the scene that led to this mess.
Watching as the Succubus devoured the man, Mercury fought the demanding urge to turn away. He needed to study this monster's tactics.
Once she was done, the Succubus wiped her face before looking at her palm. Blood dripped from it before time seemed to rewind and the blood went back into her body.
The Succubus proceeded to cut open her palm and fling blood across the room. As soon as the blood touched a surface, it changed into a burning hot flame. In an instant, Mercury was standing in the center of what one would describe as "Hell."
"What the fuck..." Mercury said softly as he watched the place burn.
Pulled back to the present, Mercury took a moment to compose himself.
Turning around, he returned to the entrance and met back up with Makoto.
"It's got a new trick up its sleeve." Mercury told her as the two left. "We gotta find this damned thing."
(New trick?) Makoto repeated. (Care to elaborate?)
(One second the room was fine, the next, it was burning.) Mercury answered her. (It seemed like a spell, or something like that. I mean, what else could catch a whole room on fire? It's even more strange that it didn't spread throughout the Inn. Ideas?) He looked to Makoto for her thoughts.
She answered with a shrug and a shake of her head.
(Sorry, I have no clue.)
(That's what I was afraid of.) Mercury sighed. "Damn."
(It sucks, but we'll just have to wait.)
Mercury nodded his head slowly as he continued to think.
(Or we can lure it into a trap.) Mercury suggested.
(How do you propose we do that?) Makoto asked.
(Monsters don't usually like letting their prey go free.) Mercury stated. "Since I'm a survivor, I bet I'm still a target. After all, the thing said it 'chose' me. Whatever the hell that means."
Makoto shrugged her shoulders.
(Whatever it is, I'm sure it isn't good.)
Hours later
Getting himself settled in an Inn, Mercury began to remove his clothes. Makoto was out still, leaving Mercury by himself.
As he pulled his shirt off, Mercury heard a knock at the door. Heading over to open it, Mercury was shocked as he saw the Succubus standing before him. However, instead of being nude, she wore a red chest covering, and pants with rope around the waistline. She wore a pair of worn boots and had a dagger at her hip.
Seeing Mercury with his shirt off, the Succubus bit her lip.
"Impressive." She then pushed her way inside. "Mind if I come in? We have quite a bit to talk about."
Stunned silent by what was happening, Mercury just stood, holding the door open.
As he ran through everything in his head, Mercury snapped his attention to the Succubus.
"First you try to kill me, then-"
"Kill you?" The Succubus repeated as if this was news. "This is the first time we're meeting, Tiger."
"C'za, bitch!" Mercury glared at her. "Don't fuckin' act like you haven't tried to kill me."
"I wouldn't hurt a hair on that handsome head of yours." The Succubus told him. "But I have come to clear some things up."
"Oh, yeah? How so?" Mercury walked over and retrieved his dagger. "You have sixty seconds before I slit your throat."
"You'd have to do more than that to kill a Succubus, Tiger."
"Stop calling me that!"
The Succubus pouted. "Fine. I'll cut to the chase." She leaned forward, intertwining her fingers. "I know you've ran into one of my kind already."
"There's more than one of you in this city?" Mercury asked.
Before the Succubus could answer, the door opened as Makoto walked in. Upon seeing the Succubus sitting on the second bed, Makoto drew her sword.
In response, the Succubus pointed her index finger at Makoto. Instantly, a rope appeared around Makoto, restraining her arms to her sides.
"Hey!" Mercury got to his feet. "Let-"
The Succubus got up, stepping to Mercury and pressing two fingers into his chest.
"I. Wasn't. Finished!" The Succubus growled as she pushed Mercury back onto the bed with her two fingers. "If I wanted either of you dead, you would be! Now, allow me to explain the situation before you decide to remove my head! Can a girl ask that much?!"
Mercury remained silent.
"Thank you." The Succubus cleared her throat. "I am Mirabella. The Succubus you are hunting is one of my many daughters, Nebula. I want-"
"She's killing innocent people. If you're asking we let her live, the answer is 'no'." Mercury stated.
"That's not what I was gonna ask." Mirabella replied. "I know of Nebula's sins. I don't believe in hurting the innocent, which is why I've come to give you her location. When she isn't prowling for men to kill, she hides just outside the city walls, in a cabin in the woods, North/North-East of where we currently are. She takes some victims there to torture and feed off of for days at a time. So, there's probably a mess."
"Well, thanks for the info, but what about you, huh? Don't you need to eat people to stay alive?" Mercury asked.
Mirabella shook her head.
"Succubi can get their nutrients in other ways other than killing." Mirabella informed him. "Such as sex."
"Then why kill at all?"
"Human blood, specifically man blood, to Succubi, hold more nutrients." Mirabella said. "When a Succubus gets a taste for blood, they become damn near insatiable. Some can control that hunger, but it seems Nebula is not among them. She needs to die, and I have provided the information for you to achieve that. Just make sure you stab her in the heart."
With that, Mirabella left the room, setting Makoto free with a wave of her hand.
(What was that?) Makoto asked as she looked to Mercury.
"Either friendly information, or bait for a trap." Mercury replied.
(What should we do?)
"Spring the trap." Mercury replied with a grin.
End of chapter 33