Volume 9 Chapter 20 Princess of the Karakas Foxes vs. Princess Asura
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”…So this is the Queen of the Succubi…!!”
The sheer pressure radiating from her made even Gina’s breath catch. Neither Klock nor Gina could use magic. Those without the sense for manipulating mana shouldn’t be able to feel it. Yet the air around this woman was so noble, so commanding, that even ordinary humans would instinctively hold their breath.
Why her? Why now?
They had been moving nonstop, always staying one step ahead, always keeping distance—yet fate had cornered them again.
Beside Gina, Kuzuha’s entire body was taut, eyes locked on the woman before them. Every sense screamed danger. This meeting hadn’t been part of any plan. Even the magic presence she felt was beyond all prediction.
Everything about this encounter was wrong.
”Sorry, Gina,” Kuzuha murmured. “I misjudged.”
”Huh?”
”I said before that attacking the heart of their base would be faster. I take that back. The Six Noble Ladies weren’t any help in estimating this. This one—she’s in another league entirely. Almost on par with a Hero.”
”A Hero…? That’s impossible!”
Gina’s eyes widened. Across from them, Kispe’s lips curved into a soft laugh.
”You flatter me. I could never compare to a Hero. We are like the moon and the sun.”
”What’s that supposed to mean?” Kuzuha asked sharply.
”The moon and the sun. Both shine in the sky, yet they’re not the same at all. The sun is vast and distant; it only looks the same size from where we stand.”
Kuzuha and Gina frowned. Kispe smiled again, her voice lilting.
”No need for such faces. Even to me, the Hero is radiant—too bright to behold. But perhaps to you, we both seem equally high above, too far apart for you to even tell the difference.”
She giggled softly, graceful and self-satisfied. The sound was delicate, but it stung.
Her poise—so smug, so sure of superiority—made Kuzuha’s tail bristle. A low growl escaped her throat.
”Lady Kuzuha,” Kispe said, smiling with perfect composure. “It’s an honor to have you visit me in your dreams. I suppose you’re here to rescue the hostage for your Hero, yes? Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Kispe Shisa, mistress of the Crimson Spire. Welcome.”
”Is that so,” Kuzuha replied coolly. “Then let’s see what kind of hospitality a monster of dreams can offer.”
”Oh, the finest kind,” Kispe purred. “So exquisite you’ll never wish to return to the wasteland again♡.”
Kuzuha’s body reacted before her mind did.
She seized Gina’s hand, crouched low—almost to all fours—and kicked off the stone floor. She didn’t speak a word; flight was the only option.
But—
”You won’t escape,” came a voice from behind. “You’re already within her reach.”
There was no escaping the Queen’s judgment.
Kispe raised her left hand.
Devoted Ring Finger Bloom—Melfidis.
”What—”
Kuzuha’s instincts blazed. Her reactions were inhumanly fast—yet even that wasn’t enough.
None of them could move.
Every living being in that chamber froze, standing rigid as statues.
”What… is this…?”
Kuzuha had leapt, intending to vault past the soldiers and get Gina out. Yet now—
They hadn’t moved at all. She turned—and saw Gina still behind her, frozen mid-step.
”It’s as if time rewound,” Kispe said gently. “You tried to run, and now you stand again, motionless.”
”That’s impossible—!”
Kuzuha’s eyes darted toward the fallen “flower woman” who lay collapsed on the floor.
This was the power of Daydream, unmistakably her skill. But if that woman was unconscious, she shouldn’t be able to use it.
Beside the fallen body, Kispe stood smiling—a calm, loving smile that chilled the blood.
”Please understand,” her expression seemed to say, “this is all for you.”
Then, as if in whispered chorus, the air around them echoed names.
”Lady Kispe’s slender, graceful thumb—Athenerei of the Chirping Room.”
”Lady Kispe’s slender, fragile forefinger—Celestina of the Playroom.”
”Lady Kispe’s slender, modest middle finger—Lilies of the Beloved Room.”
”Lady Kispe’s slender, devoted ring finger—Melfidis of the Beloved Room.”
”Lady Kispe’s slender, darling little finger—Alice Lau of the Forever Child Room.”
Kuzuha’s breath caught.
”No way… you didn’t…”
Kispe was rumored to love excellence above all. The Six Noble Ladies—each possessed a unique ability. Their places beside her had been chosen for that talent.
It had seemed a society built on ability. A hierarchy of skill.
But the truth—
The Succubi’s power barely rivaled even Kuzuha’s when she was a child.
So this was the truth of their race? That this was the strength of their “elite”?
She had assumed Succubi were weak, creatures who thrived only on seduction, not battle.
But Kispe—
”You absorbed your servants’ abilities… didn’t you?” Kuzuha whispered.
Kispe’s smile deepened. “They are my most exquisite jewels. By serving me, they adorn me, make me shine. That is my second Stellar Skill—Crown’s Companion Star.”
”…You can take on others’ abilities…?”
”In a sense. You could call it a familiar contract, if you like.”
So that was it. This race had chosen to exist around one woman—to live only to glorify her. A world revolving around its queen, where all others existed to make her radiance greater.
That was the nature of the Succubus.
And Kispe was their queen.
”How generous of you,” Kuzuha said dryly. “Explaining your skill to your enemy.”
”Normally, I let my fingers accompany me, and their actions disguise the source of my power,” Kispe said lightly. “But with someone as sensitive to energy as a Beastkin, it’s faster to explain. That way, the little fox princess will wag her tail for me more quickly.”
Kuzuha clicked her tongue.
Kispe was utterly confident—so much that she didn’t even need to watch her footing.
She could afford to be.
”You’re after the Hero, aren’t you?” Kuzuha demanded.
”…Who can say?”
”Don’t play dumb now! I thought you were planning to use Klock as bait to control him—but you’re after his power, aren’t you? You—!”
The Queen only smiled—softly, almost affectionately.
And laughed.
Kispe’s gaze flicked past Kuzuha for a brief instant.
Kuzuha tensed—then realized why. Behind her, shadows were gathering. The room was already filled with Succubus soldiers, standing shoulder to shoulder, their faces smooth and silent.
And among them—Celes.
They were surrounded.
”Princess Kuzuha,” Gina said under her breath. “Can this woman use powers that don’t belong to her own kind?”
”This one’s ability is a kind of contract,” Kuzuha replied quietly. “It doesn’t matter if they’re her subordinates or even Succubi. Once she forms a pact, she can use the other’s abilities as if they were her own. All she needs is consent. That’s why she took hostages—to force the Hero into a contract.”
Consent was essential for any binding pact. It was clear now why Kispe had chosen such a method. If her ability mirrored a familiar contract, then it was truly a master–servant bond. Her aim was to make the Hero her familiar—her finger, as she called it—and claim his powers for herself.
”After all,” Kispe said with a faint smile, “a crown deserves the brightest jewel. Wouldn’t a Hero make the most exquisite adornment for mine?”
”You… vile—”
”Oh, it’s only a possibility,” she said, voice as light as air. “That’s not my main goal. I’ve never tried using another person’s Stellar Skill, so I don’t know if a Hero could even serve as a companion star.”
She gave a dainty little cough, as if clearing her throat before a concert.
”My real intention is simply to add her to my hand. I don’t particularly enjoy fighting—it’s such a tiresome, messy business. I’d much rather leave all that barbarity to the warriors. My duty is to be adored, not to swing swords.”
”…Excuse me?”
”So if she would just behave, I wouldn’t need her power at all. What suits my hands are not rough weapons, but lovely dresses and glittering jewels to complement me. Don’t you agree, Sir Klock?”
”Yeah!! Lady Kispe’s already perfect! She’s so cute—she doesn’t need anything else!”
The voice came from within the crowd.
A boy had risen—standing among the Succubi soldiers as though he belonged there.
”…Brother?!?”
”No… the Cursed Eye of Charm!” Gina gasped.
Klock’s eyes were fixed on Kispe, dazed, empty of everything but her image. He didn’t see Kuzuha or Gina at all.
He had been unconscious moments ago. The Cursed Eye must have enslaved him, forcing his body to obey.
Those eyes—eyes that made their victims serve until the last beat of their hearts.
They should have known this would happen the moment Kispe appeared, yet seeing it firsthand filled Kuzuha with cold fury.
”Princess Kuzuha…!!” Gina’s voice shook.
It was the worst possible turn. Back to back, the two girls faced the encroaching army.
”Listen carefully,” Kuzuha said. “If we don’t get him out of here, we lose. I know it sounds absurd, but the Hero has a terrible weakness for that man. If he’s taken hostage, it’ll be disastrous.”
It was no longer a matter of simply retrieving Klock—or retreating.
He hadn’t just been taken physically. His will now belonged to the enemy.
That meant recovering him would be nearly impossible—and the Hero would suffer the fallout.
During the Beast Country incident, the Hero had fought to bring him back. But this wasn’t their world anymore. The Hero wasn’t here now, and rescue was far beyond reach.
They were cornered—utterly and completely.
How had it come to this? A single lapse, a sliver of carelessness, and the situation had collapsed into checkmate.
”This place,” Kuzuha muttered, “it’s your base, isn’t it? Don’t tell me—we were led here on purpose.”
”Yes,” Kispe said sweetly. “I redecorated the dream to guide you here.”
”Redecorated?”
The word was odd, but the meaning was clear enough. She had reshaped the Crimson Spire’s dreamscape itself.
”You can alter the structure of this world,” Kuzuha said.
”When I heard that Celes and Athena had been driven off, I switched my castle’s position with the place you were heading toward,” Kispe explained lightly.
”So that’s a Succubus ability too?”
”Oh no, not at all. Anyone who’s lived long enough in the Crimson Spire can do it, given some strength. Like spinning a pen—you don’t need magical talent, only practice.”
In other words, they had lost the moment they chased off Celes and the others. Their caution had backfired—bringing the Queen herself into play.
Instead of pursuing them, she had swapped locations, luring them straight into her lair.
”…Princess Kuzuha,” Gina said, tension sharp in her tone.
Even without looking back, Kuzuha could sense the girl’s fury. Gina’s anger hadn’t dimmed at all. More than the danger, more than their dire situation, she was seething at seeing her brother enslaved before her eyes.
Which meant Kuzuha couldn’t afford to back down either.
What to do…? she thought grimly. We’ve fallen right into her trap. Logically, the best move was to withdraw. Kispe didn’t seem intent on killing Klock—yet.
But they couldn’t retreat.
If this woman forced a contract on the Hero, it would all be over.
She was far more dangerous than any Demon Lord—she could become the next one.
If left unchecked, both Beastkin and humans alike would be in danger.
She had to die here. No matter what it took.
Kuzuha held her stance. Beside her, Gina’s eyes gleamed like a beast’s, sharp and furious as she glared at the Succubi.
The demon girl laughed softly, her tone mocking and sing-song.
”Still baring your fangs after seeing the gap in our strength? You may wear a human shape, but you’re beasts all the same—little puppies yapping and marking anything they please.”
”What did you just say?”
”Oh, but if you insist, I suppose I could indulge you,” Kispe said sweetly. “On the condition that, when you lose, you’ll agree to obey me.”
Such arrogance—it was deliberate provocation.
But Kuzuha, beneath her stillness, was calculating.
She had already accepted the hunt. When the time came, a hunter’s eyes searched for weakness.
”Do you really think we’d ever bow to you?”
”If you refuse,” Kispe said with a mock sigh, “I’ll have no choice but to show everyone—just how dearly your little companion here belongs to me.”
Kuzuha frowned, pretending to waver.
She did it deliberately—playing at frustration, feigning distress—to buy the smallest opening she could.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Melfidis being helped up by Celestina.
The girl blinked groggily, only to get a light chop on the head from the rabbit-eared Alice.
A moment later, Athena arrived, brow furrowed, scolding them in a low voice—apparently berating them for acting without orders.
At some point, the rest of Kispe’s lieutenants had gathered.
They were speaking in soft tones, almost peacefully—but each was a dangerous foe, and all of them together spelled disaster.
Kuzuha scanned the soldiers crowding the chamber. Nearly fifty Succubi filled the hall, along with five of the Six Noble Ladies. Only Lilies was missing.
So many enemies. There was no way to take them all.
This is hopeless, she thought grimly. Even if I returned to my adult form, the two of us couldn’t possibly overturn this battlefield.
The soldiers alone were bad enough—but Kispe herself was the true problem. How is she so absurdly strong?
And the girl beside her… Princess Juju.
Kuzuha glanced her way. She’d been too overwhelmed by Kispe’s presence to notice before, but now she saw the truth.
This Juju wasn’t normal either. She didn’t feel like a Succubus at all.
That aura… too composed, too refined. She’s not one of them. Could she be—an Oni Human princess?
”Well then, Lady Kuzuha,” Kispe said sweetly, pressing her hands together in front of her chest and tilting her head just slightly.
”Would you please end this meaningless struggle and take our hand instead? I promise, no harm will come to you. I’ll even guarantee the future of your Foxkin people.”
Kuzuha almost snorted. The nerve of her—to sound so kind, so genuinely gentle, that for an instant it almost felt true.
But there was no more time to stall.
This was it. She had to commit.
She’d have perhaps a single second to move before Daydream struck again.
Within that second, she had to kill Kispe.
”And if I were to surrender,” Kuzuha asked softly, “what would happen to Gina?”
”Of course, I’d guarantee her safety,” Kispe replied smoothly. “She’s his sister, isn’t she? I would never harm family unnecessarily.”
”What—Princess Kuzuha?! You can’t be serious! You’d kneel to a Succubus?!” Gina’s voice cracked in disbelief.
Kuzuha understood her reaction completely. Of course she didn’t mean to surrender.
But this gave her the perfect excuse to turn around—naturally, without suspicion.
She didn’t know Gina well, but she believed the girl would understand.
Turning slightly, Kuzuha caught Gina’s eye. No words were needed. Her gaze alone delivered the message.
Now.
She lowered her heel slowly, masking her movement. Her legs tensed.
One step back. Knees bent. To an onlooker, it would look like she was kneeling in surrender. But she was coiling her body to spring.
Her eyes dropped—not in submission, but to hide the fire in them. She would not let the Queen see the kill coming.
I’m his wife, she told herself. Even if there’s no hope, if there’s the faintest chance, I’ll fight to the end.
A cornered mouse can still bite the cat.
Just like that man did.
Klock might be a pitiful sight right now—ensnared, dazed, humiliated.
But Kuzuha didn’t blame him. His weakness wasn’t his fault. His soul had simply met its worst possible match.
She remembered the man who had stood his ground against the monster of the Abyss—alone, until the very end.
Only one person in the world could claim that feat.
Rosetta had sung her husband’s exploits across the Beast Country. Kuzuha had found it ridiculous at the time—so vain, so boastful. Yet… a part of her had been proud.
If her man could be compared to a Hero, then she, stronger still, couldn’t possibly give up here.
I’m stronger than he is. So I’ll never quit first!
Kuzuha slammed her foot into the stone floor. It cracked beneath her as she launched forward.
Her magic was already primed. She crouched low, sprinting just above the tiles, then leapt straight for the girl in front of her.
A frontal feint—swift, direct, merciless.
Less than a heartbeat passed before her jaws found Kispe’s throat.
There was a gasp—light, shocked.
Kuzuha didn’t hesitate. No pity, no pause. The fox’s teeth tore deep into the Queen’s neck, crushing, ripping, tearing away flesh and voice alike.
”—!!”
The Succubus Queen’s scream never formed. Air hissed through her ruined throat, a gurgling whisper of pain.
Kuzuha leapt back, dodging the spray of blood.
A loud crack split the floor where she’d just stood.
Princess Juju’s doing—she had stomped the stone hard enough to shatter it.
Kuzuha twisted aside and drew back, summoning her barrier.
Dynamis Shield.
Crystals expanded through the air, bending space and forcing distance between them.
”Tatsui Wind—!!”
Klock was moving—rushing toward Kispe’s fallen body.
Kuzuha caught him at the edge of her vision. She flicked her sleeve, releasing her familiar.
A dark ribbon snaked through the air, wrapping around him, pulling him close.
She caught him in her arms at last. Mine again.
”Gina!” she shouted.
”Yes!”
Kuzuha seized the girl’s hand where she struggled against the Succubi, yanked her close, and leapt.
They soared over the soldiers’ heads and burst into the corridor beyond.
”We did it—!”
”We’re clear!” Gina cried. “Let’s run, all the way out!”
”Prey should be finished the moment you strike!” Kuzuha shouted. “Even the smallest animal will bite when cornered—let this be your lesson, Kispe Shisa!”
She glanced back—saw the Queen’s body sprawled in a pool of crimson, her followers panicking around her.
Kuzuha felt no sympathy. This was battle.
Clutching her future husband and his sister, she sprinted away from the carnage.
—
”Eh…?”
Her hands clutched nothing but air.
The warmth that should have been there was gone. Gina was nowhere beside her.
And the arm she’d been holding—Klock’s—wasn’t in her grasp.
Across the hall, she saw him sitting obediently at Celestina’s side, as if nothing had happened.
”Good morning…♡” Kispe’s gentle voice rang out.
The Succubi around her giggled softly. Kispe was smiling again—and so was everyone else.
Gina stood trapped, her arms pinned behind her by Alice.
And Kuzuha—
”Stay still, little fox!”
”Ggh—!?”
She tried to move but was shoved down, her arms wrenched behind her and bound.
Two Succubus soldiers held her fast, their tight leather uniforms gleaming as they smirked down at her.
”…Daydream,” Kuzuha whispered.
She looked up. Kispe stood there, smiling tenderly—as if nothing had happened.
No wound on her neck. Not a single scar.
That same unbearably lovely girl gazed down at her, pity shining in her eyes.
Notes:
• 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.
• Melfidis – Plant-like Succubus, female, “Lady Kispe’s delicate ring finger.”
• 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.
• 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.
• Athena – Harpies adventurer; appears alongside Alice at Barreith gathering, flirtatious, joins Klock and volunteers for upcoming battles
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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