Volume 9 Chapter 19 The Lovely Footsteps
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Tch. Six Noble Ladies? More like six nobodies.”
Snorting in disdain, the two women ran through the castle halls—fast enough to move with urgency, but not so fast as to exhaust themselves.
”Well, Succubi were never exactly impressive,” one muttered. “Maybe we should’ve gone straight for the heart of the nest instead of bothering with their underlings. If the so-called Queen of Succubi leads only this bunch, she can’t be much to fear.”
”You’re right,” the other replied evenly. “We might have saved time by attacking first instead of worrying about an ambush.”
They passed through the castle corridor and into a dim passageway.
Kuzuha led the way without hesitation, her keen nose twitching as she guided them deeper into the dark.
”Still,” she said after a pause, “something bothers me. Why doesn’t the Six Noble Ladies group have a single offensive skill user?”
”Offensive skills?”
”I know Unique Skills are rare—but even so, among all the Succubi, you’d expect at least a few combat-oriented abilities. Their so-called executives all use powers that can’t directly attack.”
”That’s true, but it’s still a Unique Skill,” her partner reasoned. “Maybe they just don’t have any fighters.”
Among Humans, a Unique Skill was said to appear once in an entire town—rare enough to inspire both envy and mockery. Those with weak ones were ridiculed, though mostly out of jealousy.
”Well, what about that bear Beastkin, Celestina, and the rabbit girl, Alice Lau? Aren’t they more combat-ready?”
”That’s just their Beastkin nature showing. To me, they’re no more than foot soldiers. The only reason they seemed strong is because our bodies have been turned into children’s.”
Kuzuha lifted a hand, slowing as they descended a dim staircase. The two moved quietly, guided only by the faint light of wall-mounted candles.
A faint, slithering sound came from ahead.
Something thin as a finger dragged itself across the floor—a tendril, not of flesh but of vine. It was just moving like a tendril, scraping the ground.
”Melfidis…!”
So this was a prison. The woman stood just outside the cell, clearly having been guarding it. She must have stepped out to confront them after sensing their approach.
And the crucial hostage—
”…Brother?”
Gina distorted her expression, and Kuzuha ground her teeth hard enough to squeal.
The boy before them stood motionless, eyes unfocused. He didn’t react at all to their arrival.
Vines from the flower woman’s body were wrapped around him. He didn’t resist. His expression was empty, drained.
This wasn’t just a hostage situation. Something was being done to him.
When his body twitched, one of the vines pulsed, like a pump drawing something in.
”Gina,” Kuzuha said sharply. “Her magic power is increasing.”
”What? She’s recovering? This fast?”
”Yes. Look closely. Where do you think those tendrils are going?”
The vines extended from Melfidis’s feet, wrapping around the boy as if to use him as a shield.
But some slipped under his clothes. One slid down into his pants—drinking greedily.
Gina paled, stepping back in horror.
”Succubi drain essence from others,” Kuzuha said, voice cold. “It looks like she’s taken plenty from him already. It’s leaking out, and she’s still feeding through those vines. Feeding while fighting—what nerve.”
”S-so disgusting…! How vile! You monster!”
Melfidis seemed to possess two ways to feed: one for seducing active prey with her body, the other—those parasitic vines—for draining passive victims.
The boy’s body convulsed again, proof that she was still sucking the life from him. And in doing so, Melfidis had already restored her strength.
”Celestina, Alice Lau, Athenerei—they still felt more like Beastkin. But you…” Kuzuha’s golden eyes narrowed. “You’re something else. Maybe the nature of a flower-human and a succubus mix too well.”
As Kuzuha analyzed the situation, Gina, without a word, broke into a run.
She had no means of attack. She wasn’t carrying a sword, nor could she use an offensive skill. No physical strength worth mentioning in her child’s body. He was the only family she had left.
But she had a fist-sized stone clenched in her hand—picked up somewhere without thinking.
Seeing it, Kuzuha darted forward. She knew the pain burning inside Gina’s chest. Her only brother, violated and used like that—of course she’d snap.
”You demon!”
Gina’s arm swung down, the rock aimed straight for Melfidis’s skull.
But it never landed. Before they knew it, the stone hit the floor with a dull clatter. Both girls froze in shock. The fox princess suddenly realized, and turned on her heel.
”She used Daydream! She’s escaping—after her!”
”Y-yes!”
The dungeon was a dead end, one-way in. Normally, escape would be impossible—but with illusion magic, Melfidis could simply walk back through her own dreamscape.
”She’s mocking us…!”
Kuzuha bounded up the stairs, four steps at a time. There was only one path, so she left Gina behind and sprinted ahead alone.
She wasn’t using her real legs anymore—she couldn’t catch up with them. The spell was already deployed. She would probably cry from muscle pain later, but she ran at beast-like speed.
There—!
A flash of petals ahead. Kuzuha lunged without a sound, a predator’s instinct guiding her.
Melfidis turned, startled—but too late. *I got her—*
Kuzuha’s fangs sank deep into her shoulder. It was a killing bite. This woman couldn’t be forgiven. She would kill her right here.
She clung on, ready to climb up her back and tear out her throat—
”Ugh—!”
And suddenly, she was on the floor again. Another Daydream. Melfidis had trapped her mind for a split second—long enough to throw her off.
In Kuzuha’s perception, she had already torn out Melfidis’s throat. Melfidis had fallen, spurting blood from her artery. Kuzuha had then embraced him and rescued the boy.
Then the world had reset, as if rewound. To have that victory ripped away again and again—rage boiled up inside her.
”Damn it… what an infuriating ability!”
”Princess Kuzuha!”
Gina’s voice reached her as she staggered to her feet. Because she’d lagged behind, Gina had escaped the illusion’s range.
So Daydream either affected a fixed area or only those it directly ensnared. That meant attacking in staggered timing might be the key.
”This way!” Kuzuha shouted. “She’s not far—don’t let her get away!”
”Yes, ma’am!”
”I’m casting the same enhancement on you. Don’t run full speed or your leg muscles will tear.”
She laid the strengthening spell on Gina as well, then they burst through the castle corridor and onto an open walkway.
The fortress was larger than it had seemed from outside, though that hardly mattered. Even great cities like Falona had fractured into dream boundaries—
Even if it was a castle, even if it was huge, they wouldn’t know where the boundary was. Even if there was a wide room before them, crossing the boundary would change the scenery.
”Gina, your skill expands from your own position, right? Next time we spot her, don’t attack right away. Circle behind her—or behind me. Got it?”
”So you’re planning to block her escape with Dynamis Shield?”
”Yes. Even if we surround her, she might still use Daydream again and again until the barrier fades—or slip away between illusions. But doing so will drain her magic fast. Once she’s spent, we’ll finish her.”
They crossed the covered bridge and emerged into another hallway—this one wider, lined with doors on both sides and a long red carpet running straight through.
Then came the noise—voices, laughter, the lively hum of people talking. It was a sharp contrast to the silence before. Girls giggled in clusters, their chatter echoing all around.
”This… this looks like a barracks.”
”Wait. Don’t tell me this castle is the Succubi’s main base—?”
Realization struck hard, but they couldn’t stop now. The Succubus women here would instantly recognize that the intruders weren’t one of them. So they ran, no choice but to charge straight through. Without rescuing Klock, there was no escaping anyway.
”There—Melfidis!”
A grand staircase stretched upward, more elaborate than any seen in a Human castle. A hall divided by a finely crafted red carpet. And there she was—Melfidis—standing near the top.
Several Succubus soldiers stood around her. They spotted the intruders at once. They couldn’t waste time fighting them. Melfidis had to die first.
Before reaching the upper landing, Kuzuha leapt onto the railing, springing forward to flank her prey. But as she prepared to strike, she froze.
”What the—why are you here?”
”You’re… Celestina!”
The bear Beastkin Succubus—Celes—stood protectively in front of Melfidis. A disastrous pairing. Those claws of hers could tear through their small child bodies in an instant.
Until now, Kuzuha had managed against Melfidis only because the woman herself lacked any real offensive power. But now—with a fighter beside her—the battle had turned deadly.
”Damn it.”
No time to question why Celes was here. Surrounded by enemies, hesitation meant death. She had to act. Now. There was no other choice, and her fingers snapped into a hand seal.
”Ah—Melfi! Wait!”
Melfidis noticed Kuzuha mid-cast and darted away—her motion smooth, as if she’d predicted this and used Celes’s distraction as cover.
”Leave the kid—damn it!” Celes lunged, trying to grab her companion, but Melfidis slipped free.
Now it was Celes versus Kuzuha.
”Oh my. Internal conflict?”
”Not quite,” Celes growled. “Just a little disagreement.”
”Don’t hold back on my account. Go after her.”
”Can’t. Got to deal with the intruders first.”
Without hesitation, Celes charged. Her speed was explosive, nearly catching Kuzuha off guard—Kuzuha’s eyes widened for a moment at Celes’s action, but the fox princess’s reflexes were far beyond human.
She vaulted gracefully, flipping over the Beastkin’s rush.
”Dynamis Shield.”
”Mountain Water Veil.”
Celes’s claws smashed into the railing, splintering it apart. The Succubus soldiers nearby froze for a moment, bewildered—but that instant was enough for them to realize who the enemy was.
Armed with nothing but seductive bodies, revealing outfits that left little to the imagination, they moved to swarm the girls.
But none of them reached their targets. Purple flowers unfolded. Gina’s hand swept forward, and crystals bloomed in an arc. They separated the Succubus soldiers from Kuzuha and Gina.
Meanwhile, Celes’s sudden strike had missed. Kuzuha leapt high again, only for the Beastkin to leap up after her, meeting her from below. The fox princess was airborne—her landing point directly above her enemy. A dangerous position.
Celes bared her teeth in a smirk—
And got a faceful of water.
”Wha—?!”
Suddenly splashed with water on her face, she flinched. It wasn’t ordinary water. The liquid shimmered faintly, carrying a powerful enchantment that clouded the mind and dulled the senses.
Kuzuha’s spell—one she’d once used unsuccessfully against a certain cat warrior. Its flaw was poor accuracy, but this time, she’d landed a perfect hit.
”Gina!”
”Right!”
They dashed up the grand staircase to the second floor. A wide window greeted them, sunlight spilling through—but they didn’t stop to look. Passageways extended to the left and right. Sniffing sharply, Kuzuha turned down the right-hand hall and sprinted, low to the ground, fox instincts guiding her.
Faster. Faster. Faster! The fox princess bent low and ran through at top speed. She’d never chased anyone this desperately before. Every nerve screamed to catch that scent.
”Melfidis!”
Following the scent, when she reached the floor in front of the stairs, she stopped dead.
”…What?”
Melfidis lay on the floor. For a heartbeat Kuzuha thought it was someone else, but no—it was definitely Melfidis. She was like a trampled flower. The petals of her fallen body had the same pattern.
And right there, the boy—Klock—stood within arm’s reach. It couldn’t be anyone else but her.
”…You—”
Another woman held him effortlessly, dangling his limp body by two fingers. Her clothes were ornate, reminiscent of Kuzuha’s own traditional garb. Long red-painted nails gleamed at her fingertips—far too delicate for manual work. The way she stood, the way she was dressed—she was unmistakably of noble blood.
The woman turned toward them. Three crimson horns curved elegantly upward from her temple. Red markings framed her eyes—was it makeup? The gorgeously dressed beauty’s sharp gaze cut through them like glass.
”Honestly, Melfi. I told you he was a valuable hostage.”
”Wha—?!”
Kuzuha’s eyes widened—not because of the words, but because they hadn’t come from this horned woman at all. They came from the staircase behind her. Someone was coming from over there.
A voice, clear as glass. Footsteps—soft, deliberate—clicked against the stone. And Kuzuha’s instincts screamed danger.
”To let your desires run wild like that… how improper. My poor Melfi, I’m sorry. She didn’t mean to make you two suffer, you know?”
”…No way. That magic power—it’s absurd…”
Kuzuha made a face as if she had bitten a bitter bug. Even with Klock right there, she involuntarily stepped back. Once, twice.
The approaching footsteps echoed, each one poised yet unhurried. Her walk was dignified, unhindered by anyone, yet a modest elegance could be felt in her steps, making one feel she was a lovely girl.
”…So. You don’t plan to let us leave that easily, do you?”
”Yes. That’s right.”
The reply came with a soft laugh—half whisper, half sigh. A sound that could make any man’s heart tremble. Her words alone carried the weight of enchantment.
Silken hair swayed as she stepped into view. Amethyst eyes, suggesting death, locked on Kuzuha and Gina.
If the two girls had been men, they might have realized then that every jewel in the world was worthless, every flower a mere weed beside her.
”Welcome,” she said sweetly. “To our Crimson Spire. We’re honored to receive you, Princess of the Karakas Foxes.”
White wings unfurled behind her petite frame, both beautiful and terrible.
She smiled—a smile so lovely it almost hurt to see. A soft atmosphere, as if she would look good reading in the shade of a tree. Flawless as a painting come to life.
”The exiled princess who lost her country to the cats,” she murmured. “I’ve heard the stories. What a pleasure to finally meet you, Lady Kuzuha.”
”…Princess Asura…!”
Before them stood a girl of breathtaking beauty, feet together, her skirt swaying softly, exuding a pure and clean aura, and tilting her head ever so slightly.
Queen Kispe, with the most polite posture imaginable, stood in Kuzuha’s way.
Notes:
• Alice – Rabbitkin adventurer; appears at the same Barreith gathering, playful and mischievous, interacts with Klock, part of recruited volunteers
• Alice Lau – Child of Kispe household, ceremonial noble from Crimson Spire, appears during partisan recruitment, innocent and fragile, symbolic figure of Six Noble Ladies, pale skin and delicate stature.
• Celes – A bear-type Beastkin Succubus living with Alice after Klock’s arrival. She’s playful, physically strong, and driven by her species’ “mating season” instincts. She teases Alice often and treats life with freedom and spontaneity. No known family or formal ties; she’s Alice’s companion and occasional housemate.
• Celestina – Another child from Kispe household, playful and mischievous, shows up with Alice Lau in recruitment scenes, frail but lively appearance, beast-like ears marking heritage.
• Melfidis – Plant-like Succubus, female, “Lady Kispe’s delicate ring finger.”
• Gina – A kind choir member who shows genuine concern for Adelina. She’s a rare ally in this unfamiliar place, offering some comfort and companionship.
• Silke – Silke is the acting lord of Belandi, a Beastkin from the bird-beast clan that was relocated to Boorinel. She has chestnut-brown hair and first appears in chapter v6c9 along with Annerose to meet with Cianie.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply