Volume 8 Chapter 16 Encounter with a Succubus
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”…It’s fine. No sign of anyone around.”
Her boots struck the cobblestones with steady weight, each thud echoing through the empty street. She didn’t hesitate, not once. Even when a loose stone skittered away underfoot, her stride never slowed.
”I don’t feel any mana either. No traps waiting to blast intruders—at least, nothing dangerous.”
”They’re really not watching their backs, huh.”
The others followed, weapons clinking, tails flicking, breath clouding faintly in the stale air. Yet the streets around them were silent. Barreith was supposed to be overflowing with refugees, but here… nothing. Only the muffled roar of a distant crowd reached them. All else was hushed.
Rows of stone houses loomed, hollowed out by time. Walls cracked, roofs collapsed, windows black and blind. A dead quarter, standing only because no one had ever bothered to tear it down. Long ago an earthquake had ripped this district apart. Since then, it had been left to rot, like a corpse the city refused to bury.
”The scouting report said people avoid this place because of poisonous ore.”
”Tch. Sounds like a lie the thieves spread so folks steer clear. But… maybe not all of it. The Barreith mines really do pull up galena—lead ore. Nasty stuff.”
”I never even knew ore itself could be poisonous. That’s… surprising. Anyway—there. The building straight ahead.”
”Nya. Looks like a plain old house.”
They stopped as one. The ruin before them looked like the others—half fallen, roof torn wide open to the sky. Nothing marked it as special, yet this was supposed to be the thieves’ den.
”Let’s review the plan first,” Suzette said evenly.
”So basically… we cut them all down?”
”Yes. Everyone except the demons and their leaders. Kill them all.”
Klock flinched at the words.
”No mercy. True thieves rob, kill for profit, defile women, then sell or discard them when done. That crime earns death anywhere. Leaving them alive only breeds more victims. The leaders, though, we’ll capture for information. Especially the spies—don’t let them slip away. The rest, end on the spot.”
Her voice stayed calm, measured. Cianie only nodded, her face cool. Meina’s ears pricked high, tail lashing, eyes bright with hungry energy. Klock looked away, lips pressed thin.
He wasn’t against it. They had decided this last night. Still, he prayed silently: *Please, let them all be ugly old men. If it’s kids or women mixed in… can I really swing the knife?*
”Let’s move,” Cianie murmured. She strode forward, regal and fearless, like walking into her own home. No hesitation. That was what it meant to be a Hero.
Inside, the ruin was barren. Not even scraps of furniture left. It looked abandoned, lifeless. And yet, just yesterday, people had been here.
Suzette’s sharp eyes scanned the walls. Meina sniffed, nose twitching. Cianie had already found stairs leading up—but froze.
”…Nothing. No presence.”
”Maybe they’re all out?” Suzette asked, but her own tone was doubtful.
The silence pressed heavy. Even Klock’s sharp ears caught nothing but the creak of boots on stone. His gut told him the place was empty. Cianie’s senses confirmed it. No one lived here.
”No belongings either. Looks staged. If they’re here, it’s underground.”
”…But where’s the—ah.”
Too obvious. At the back, a crude hidden staircase led down. A gaping black maw swallowed the light. Cold damp air wafted up, clammy against their skin.
The kind of place you expected ghosts to crawl out of. Midnight down there? Never. And yet, humans could get used to anything. Even graves.
Suzette reached into her bag for a light. No torches here—magic would have to do.
Cianie simply raised a hand. Fire bloomed in her palm, spilling light into the dark below. No chant. No spell. Just her gift. Suzette and Klock traded a shrug. Of course it was Cianie.
”Nya—”
”What is it?” Klock asked.
”It stinks. Really bad…”
They’d only taken a few steps when Meina’s face twisted. Klock sniffed but smelled nothing. All eyes turned to her.
”What kind of smell?”
”Blood. A lot of blood…”
Tension snapped tight. Klock’s knife whispered free from its sheath. Cianie’s black blade slid into her grip. Suzette squared her stance. Only Cianie kept calm, stepping forward as if through a marketplace.
”There,” she said softly.
Her senses had caught someone.
By flickering firelight, they crept into a chamber. Empty—at least at first glance. But light bled through the crack of the next room’s door.
”Let’s go,” Cianie whispered.
”Right behind you.”
Her pace quickened. Faster, faster—then *CRASH!* She kicked the door apart.
”Kya!!?”
”Eh?”
A black blade bloomed in her hand, shaped like half of giant scissors. Klock and the others rushed in—then froze.
”…What the hell…”
Bodies. Everywhere. One, two, ten—maybe more. Sprawled across the stone floor, limbs twisted, eyes glazed. Red slicked the chamber, dripping, pooling, running from broken flesh.
Dead. All dead.
”Lady Cianie!!”
”Eh?”
Suzette’s cry tore through the silence. Even Cianie faltered. But the maid’s gaze snapped sharp, pointing at the far end of the chamber.
There—a woman. She had just flung a limp man’s body aside like trash. She turned, ready to flee. Wings spread wide from her back, a sinuous tail whipping the air.
”That woman’s a Succubus!!” [t/n: Succubi are demons said to drain life through dreams and seduction.]
”—!!”
Klock barely processed the words before Cianie leapt. *DOOOOM!!* The floor shattered as she launched herself, shockwaves rattling the chamber.
”KYAAAAAAAH!!”
The demon’s shriek pierced the air—then *SLASH!* Steel ripped through flesh.
The candles shuddered. Some snuffed out in the force. The few still burning wavered wildly, shadows lurching across the walls.
”Cianie!!”
”I’m fine. She’s down.”
Her voice was calm. At her feet, the demon’s body dissolved into mist.
”…What?”
”They vanish. Succubi never leave corpses. They’re said to be dwellers of dreams—when slain, they simply return there. Even among demons, their kind is… different.”
The last of the form drifted away. Silence smothered the chamber once more. Suzette and Meina exchanged uneasy looks. Klock scanned the room again. Only the human corpses remained.
”…So all these… were the thieves, right?”
”Most likely. We don’t know why they were killed, but it’s almost certain this was the succubus’s work.”
Suzette crouched beside one of the bodies, her brows drawn tight. The corpse sprawled indecently with its lower half exposed, obscene even in death.
”What the hell. Did she kill him in the middle of the act?”
”This is what succubi do,” Suzette replied with cool detachment. “An Incubus or Succubus can drain every last drop of vitality through sex.”
”Oh, that thing. The one where you die if you sleep with them.”
”Exactly. Succubi tempt their prey, seduce them into bed, and drain away the energy needed to live. Anyone who falls for one is doomed. There’s no ending but death.”
”Klock, be careful. If some strange woman comes on to you, ignore her no matter what.”
”Relax. I’ll be fine.”
The world was wide, and there were races where sex meant death. No wonder people called the Demon Continent a land of nightmares. But was that really more frightening than a woman hiding a knife under the bed? Honestly, a woman with superhuman strength was far scarier.
”Suzette—”
”—This is…!”
Another corpse lay half-undressed, but this one had horns jutting forward from his temples.
”Demonkin, huh. Is this the guy you mentioned—?”
”Yes. It was him. But… why is he dead too…”
The very man who had been pulling the thieves’ strings from the shadows was lying cold on the floor. Even the mastermind was gone.
”…Here as well. The body of that middle-aged man in a cassock, the one giving speeches in the town square. We won’t be getting information from them.”
”They didn’t all die the same way either. Some skulls smashed in, some stabbed in the chest.”
”Strange. Looks less like they were attacked, more like… they turned on each other.”
Wiped out. The thought came unbidden. He didn’t even know how many they’d been, yet somehow it felt like none could have survived.
They picked their way through the chamber, stepping around the dead. Each checked for survivors, but there were none. Klock forced himself to stay steady, the sickness twisting his gut just under control.
If it had been outside in daylight, maybe the sight would have broken him. In the dimness, the edges blurred, dulling the shock. But only for a moment.
Klock stopped before a boy’s body. He knelt and saw the face. His chest jolted; his breath caught.
”Klock?”
”…That kid. From back then.”
It was the boy. He’d seen him after leaving Rushelora, riding a wagon with Boit and Nora. That same kid who had waved so brightly at Nora.
So he’d been a thief? Or only turned into one after coming here? Either way—damn. What rotten luck.
Looking at that still face, Klock’s stomach churned. He tore his eyes away, rubbed his brow like nursing a headache, and sighed. Tilting his head back, he stared at the ceiling.
”Klock. Let’s go.”
”…What? Wait, shouldn’t we at least—”
”No. Back to the inn. Your face is pale.”
For once, Cianie pressed close with surprising force. Suzette frowned tight, lips set thin. Meina’s tail drooped, ears flat, eyes worried.
The room was a field of corpses. They had planned to kill these people anyway. So why did his chest ache so badly? The answer came when he asked himself.
They had meant to punish criminals. But he had never seen their crimes. Only their ruined, victimized bodies. That was why it felt so wrong.
”—Lady Cianie, forgive me.”
”Eh?”
”Sir Klock. Pardon my intrusion.”
Suzette suddenly stepped forward, every movement precise, still the perfect maid. She seized him by the collar and pulled him into her arms.
”Mmh…chuu, chu, nn…churuu…”
Her lips pressed against his. Her tongue slid forward, tangling with his, filling the silence with wet sounds. Her mouth clung to him, soft and warm, sucking insistently.
”Chu, chuz… nn. There. Feeling calmer?”
”…Nn, I mean, I wasn’t really—”
”Then let’s go back. Lady Cianie will want you to herself soon enough.”
She cast Cianie a quick glance. A silent handoff. The servant’s role was done. The rest was up to her lady. Cianie blinked, flustered, then—
”…Ah. Yeah. Klock. Let’s just go.”
She took his hand and pulled him away. A sudden deep kiss, then a forced retreat. That was how the investigation ended. They retraced their steps and left the hideout behind. For now, the search was shelved. Cianie would likely finish it later, on her own.
Back at the inn, the women took turns wrapping Klock in their arms.
…
”…Whew. That was close. Any longer and we’d have been caught too.”
A girl’s footsteps clicked against the blood-slick stone.
”Good thing they were so distracted with the bodies they didn’t notice the other rooms. And thanks to you carrying the Black Mana Stone.”
”Mmghh… mmnn… ahhh♡ Kiss… p-please♡”
The door banged open. A larger chamber stretched out, faintly lit by sparse candles. A girl turned back. A man sat in a chair, surrounded by women with smiling lips. Seeing the intruders gone, the women all sighed together.
”Poor Lili-chan. She’s dead.”
”Unlucky. She won’t leave the Crimson Spire for a hundred years now. We’d better not make the same mistake.”
”Running ahead to silence witnesses only to bump straight into them… tch. Not the time to be playing with handjob torture.”
The three women began to chatter. One small and pure-looking, one tiny like a child, and one voluptuous, draped in sultry allure. Wet, obscene sounds echoed through the chamber.
”Kispe, why… why are you doing this to me♡”
The Demonkin man in the chair shuddered, his shaft gripped and stroked.
”Why? For fun, mostly. But why I targeted you—because you were in the way. You’re an agent of Mr. Bandanzine, aren’t you? And you let the Hero find you. You nearly ruined everything.”
Sloppy sounds filled the room as the stroking continued. The woman at his side pressed her breasts against him, hugged close, and sealed his lips with hers, sucking deep.
”The plan is simple. Before the city assault, we stir rebellion inside. When the monster troops strike, the rebels open the gates, and the city falls in one rush. Same trick every time, but it works beautifully. Efficient, devastating. Truly, the Demonkin’s genius. Thanks to you, Basselow fell so easily. I appreciate it—”
Whether the man was listening didn’t matter. His lips were still locked with the demoness’s, and his body was beginning to shrivel. He trembled violently, spilling endlessly.
”But this front was supposed to be *our* task—the Incubi and Succubi. So why meddle with our prey? It’s like ants crawling underfoot. Disgusting.”
The man twitched weakly, groaned once, then froze. His head slumped forward, lips slipping from hers. Lifeless.
His body sagged, still dripping as it went limp.
The last shimmer of magic faded, and the illusion cloaking his body peeled away. From his temples, horns pushed out into the open, unmistakable proof of what he was.
A petite girl stepped in from the side and shoved him hard. *THUD!* The Demonkin toppled with his chair, crashing flat against the cold stone floor.
”He’s dead—ahaha. Sprayed it all out like piss and croaked. Demonkin, Human, what’s the difference? Boys always lug that thing around, but do they even know what for?”
”They last a little longer than Humans, that’s it. Same inferior breed in the end. Still, it’s better like this. If he’d been caught, he would’ve spilled everything. Demonkin act high and mighty, but once cornered, they’d rat us out in a heartbeat.”
Their quiet giggles trickled into the chamber, bouncing off the stone walls, a soft chorus of amusement in the underground gloom.
”At least we finally got to see the Hero’s face. I was starting to think he wasn’t even in this town… almost gave up. But I’m glad we found him.”
”I’ve got that man’s face memorized, every detail, Zol’s tavern and all~♡”
The succubus girls strolled out, not sparing a glance for the men they had toyed with, forced to slaughter one another, and left collapsed in their own blood. Once outside the hideout, they stretched their arms high with a long, satisfied groan.
”That man—the Cursed Eye doesn’t work on him, right?”
”Yes. No idea why, but it’s completely blocked. He’s troublesome. Still, maybe that’s what let us spot him in the first place. He looked suspicious, so we tailed him, and it was the right call.”
They walked straight toward the town. The ruined quarter fell behind them, and soon the streets grew crowded. Every man who passed had his gaze dragged helplessly toward the girls.
Some clutched at their chests like they’d been struck by arrows, hearts hammering from the sheer cuteness. Too dazzling to stand in their way, the crowd simply parted, leaving a clear path wherever they went.
”So, what now? Won’t abducting him be difficult?”
”No. The Cursed Eye is just a convenience, nothing more. It makes things easier, but we never truly needed it. We are Incubi and Succubi, born rulers meant to make every humanoid race kneel. If the Cursed Eye fails, we’ll just use the power that belongs to us by nature.”
Notes:
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Meina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
• Rushelora – A port where demons are allowed to stay at embassies under special circumstances. It is a location where humans and demons have trade relations.
• Boit – A merchant involved in human trafficking, with a villainous face and a loud, obnoxious voice. He is pragmatic and willing to help Klock escape the country in exchange for something. His relationship with Klock is business-like, though both are aware of each other’s illicit activities.
• Bandanzine – They are one of the Four Heavenly Kings, appeared as a warrior with a dignified gaze, known for their frontline combat prowess.
• Zol – An adventurer and drinking buddy of Klock. He appears with Heysl to intervene in the confrontation between Klock and Sylvia.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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