With a perfect smile free of any sense of irritation, the snow white figure before Samantha closed her eyes, breathed in quietly, and exhaled.
"I've answered your question, despite your rude tone. I was present during the discussion. What of it?"
The woman folded her arms together in such a way that the sleeves were now completely covering both hands. If Samantha were to compare it to a fashion trend on earth, it reminded her of when a girl wearing a hoodie would place her hands in her pockets.
"I guess we're getting right to the juicy part then."
The one who spoke this time was the crimson demon who leaned forward in his seat, placing his chin on his demonic hand as his elbow rested on his knee.
Tapping his demonic claws to his mouth, he spoke without caution.
"So lets hear your take. What happened during the conference? What's your position? Most importantly...."
The demonic figure sat back, glaring around the room at the guards surrounding them, who seemed to be holding in each and every bit of emotion which overwhelmed them.
"Are you our enemy?"
The woman didn't flinch, instead bringing her sleeves to her lips, covering her mouth.
"Am I obligated to give answers to your questions? After all, it was you four who showed up directly on my doorstep. If this is a civil discussion, then should I not be the one questioning you?"
Garett rubbed his chin in thought at this response.
"Hmm.... a civil discussion eh? Haven't had one of those for a while. What do you think, Theo?"
Turning to his well mannered compatriot, Garett looked for an answer and was met with a nod.
"By all means, let's keep this civil as long as we are able to."
"You heard the man. Looks like I gotto keep it civil. So? What questions you got? Ah, I guess there's something I missed."
Standing up, Garett put his demonic hand to his chest.
"Call me Gary. I'm the craftsman among our group."
The woman raised an eyebrow at this statement, keeping her mouth covered by her sleeves.
"The craftsman? This is a bit off topic, but are you four not aiming for the position of demon lords? Why exactly would you have a craftsman among your ranks?"
Garett chuckled at the question, grabbing hold of the necklace he was wearing. Twirling the fingers about in his hand and eventually taking hold of the preserved eyeball which shined like a green jewel, he looked up to Lustia.
"A fine piece, isn't it?"
"It is certainly unique."
"Theo, is it alright to reveal a bit of our goals to her?"
With a smirk, Trevor nodded.
"It is acceptable. This much has already been simulated. After all, this is a negotiation, is it not? It should be obvious that if we wish to obtain information from our opponent that we should be willing to give them some as well."
"That's what I thought. Lustia, what do you think it means to become a true demon lord? From what we've heard, there isn't one because the three monster kings along with the other four house leaders came to an agreement not to pursue something like that. It's like a system of checks and balances I guess? If one person goes too far, then the others have to step in and shut them down."
"That much is true.", Lustia replied with a nod. "As for my thoughts on what it means to become a true demon lord.... I am not exactly sure what you mean by this."
Staring at the woman, the eyes of Garett became wicked and filled with a slight insanity. His lips curled upwards, presenting his fangs in plain view.
"Haven't you ever tried to take over the world?"
Thinning her eyes with a kind smile, the woman motioned her arms to the room around her.
"Indeed I have. Why don't you look around you? This is my world. And I have succeeded in taking it over."
As she motioned around the white hair of the woman fell from underneath her hat. It was short cut, yet it only emphasized her beauty.
"So you know already then. Taking over the world isn't something you can just do with power. Sure, power is required. But there are other skills that are needed. Economics, politics, relations, laws, expansion, technology, research, culture, and a whole load of other things. You need to figure out each and every one of these things in order to take over and properly rule a nation."
The woman kept her sleeves covering her mouth, yet looked at Garett strangely.
"Are you so certain about that? As far as I am concerned, if you are taking over the world as a demon lord there is no need to focus on such things. Can you not simply use your power to destroy those who rise against you? I personally care for my subjects, so I would not subject them to such things, but I am not a demon lord after all."
The woman looked back and forth to gauge the reactions of the four, before continuing.
"Looking at things from your own perspective, if your true goal is to rule this world as demon lords, why would you waste time and effort with such things which a standard nation would encompass? After all, a dictator has no need to care for his people. Most would sit back in their thrones made from the bones of those underneath them, sipping on their very blood while receiving their praise."
Lustia gave the four a strange look. Samantha knew from her thoughts that she was clearly surprised at hearing that the four who were taking over city after city even cared about such things as properly ruling their citizens.
"Ah, don't get us wrong. You're exactly correct there. How many bodies was our nation built upon exactly?"
Putting her index finger forth and pretending to count with a sly smile, Samantha voiced these words in a sharp tone like a true demon- one who didn't give a second thought to the amount of people she had slaughtered.
"Too many to count. Ah, but I'm sure there is a record of it already. Haha.... not that it matters. After all, the ones who have died were those who didn't deserve to live in the first place."
Lustia continued to glare at Samantha as she said such things.
"You certainly hold the demeanor of a demon lord, rude woman. As for the other four, they seem to be a bit more respectful. I have a hard time imagining why you all would be so different in personality, given that you are all working towards the same goal."
Folding her arms in her lap, the woman smirked.
"Then again, I suppose with variety comes specialty. Perhaps it is exactly because of your differences that you have been able to make up for each other's weaknesses."
"You wouldn't be wrong, bitch. Ah, did I just say that out loud? Whoops. I mean, you wouldn't be wrong, Queen of Lust. Hahaha. Well, not that there is a difference. After all, they're one and the same."
Samantha relentlessly slipped in a few statements here and there, continuing to chip away at the iron wall which was the will of this woman.
"As the Queen of Lust, you're really just an over glorified whore. No?"
With a dominating grin, Samantha continued to lay bombs in her speech.
"Excuse me?"
Lustia was now staring at Samantha, however even as she spoke she hid any and all irritation, and calmly asked.
"What exactly did you call me just now?"
"Oh, please forget about it. A slip of the tongue, that's all."
"Is that so?"
"Of course. Please, continue."
With extreme patience, Lustia managed to ignore the offensive statements of the succubus and changed the topic.
"Well then.... it seems that we've gone off on a tangent. I originally intended on asking you directly, however your questions earlier make your purpose quite clear in my mind. You are here to confirm whether I am your enemy or not. Am I wrong?"
Lustia turned to Garett, avoiding Samantha who was smirking in victory, knowing well that her mind had been completely thrown off track by her statement.
Even though her mind was in chaos right now, the woman before her didn't show it, and kept her demeanor as a queen, yet this too would crumble if Samantha pushed just a bit further.
"That's right, but also wrong. It's true that we're here to see if you're an enemy or not. So I'll ask again."
Garett responded to the question promptly, not wasting a second.
"The house leaders seem to have formed a pact against us, and are likely preparing for war with us as we speak. Do you wish to join them and fight us or not?"
The woman used her long fingernail to slide back a tuft of her hair behind her ear in a casual motion before responding.
"I have no intention of going to war. I told you already that my world is this place. Anything outside of my tower is of no concern to me."
"I see. So if we stayed out of your business then you would simply watch as we overtook the other 6 house leaders?"
"I do not know if you would be able to muster such power as to do so, but if you did possess the power to do such a thing then I would not make an effort to interfere- should my own region not be affected."
Trevor placed his hand to his chin with a smile and a nod.
"So what you are saying is that it would be possible to enter a non aggression pact with you?"
"A non aggression pact... I suppose that would be acceptable, however you all seem to be under the impression that I would benefit from such a thing.", Lustia responded.
"Are you saying that you would not?", Trevor asked.
"I never said that. It is true that entering such a pact would save me time and effort in protecting the people who are mine."
"Ah, you mean the ones around us who are under your curse?", Samantha asked bluntly.
"If that is how you wish to refer to it, then yes. But I prefer the term charm, rather than such a phrase.", Lustia responded while leaning on one of her arms.
"They have been enchanted by my charms, rather than overtaken by a curse."
"Heh."
Samantha covered a short laugh which she purposely made audible enough for Lustia to hear.
"Is there something to laugh at?", Lustia questioned.
"Oh, nothing. I just thought it was funny that you believe you have what it takes to charm someone. Don't you need to be good looking for something like that?"
At this statement, the final straw in the mind of Lustia was broken, and she stood up from her seat.
With a smile on her face, she walked over to Samantha who too was staring her down with a smile.
"You continue to verbally abuse me. I consider myself to be one of the more patient one among the heads of the 7 houses, but you seem to be purposely trying to trigger me. Am I incorrect?"
Lustia was now standing right in front of Samantha with arms crossed and just a slight bit of annoyance in her expression.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Queen of thots..... I mean Queen of Lust. Hahaha. Purposely trying to provoke you? Why would I ever do such a thing?"
"I myself am not exactly sure why. However, from the moment of the arrival of the four of you, I have felt a certain characteristic in your demeanors which I cannot ignore any further."
Walking back to her own seat and lightly sitting down, the woman crossed one leg over another and put out her foot for all to see.
"You all seem to be under the impression that you are speaking with someone on the same level as yourselves..... no, perhaps even someone lower than yourselves. I have ignored your rude comments and disrespectful demeanor up to this point, but even I have my limits."
Pointing to her foot, the woman spoke boldly.
"You all fail to understand that you are dealing with a queen here, when you are merely a group of upstart demon lords with a small bit of power. I will warn you. Physical power is not everything in this world, oh antiheroes. There are other powers which exist that will drive even the strongest of demons to their knees."
Glancing up at Garett, the woman smiled delightfully.
"Would you please lick my foot?"
As soon as she said this, Trevor's eyes seemed to be flashing back and forth. He was likely making calculations within his mind based on the changing circumstance.
Ashley let out a 'pfft' at this statement, barely able to control herself at the boldness of the woman before her.
"Keh... keh heh.... you're funny, woman."
When Ashley let out these quiet words, many of the spiritual beings around the area started to hold their heads as if they were having a migraine, yet the woman before her did not.
"Do you think you can just give one of us orders-"
Ashley started talking in response, however suddenly Garett stood up. On witnessing the motion she stopped talking, under the impression that he was about to say something.
Garett smirked, and Ashley slumped back into her seat, letting him take the reins.
As he took a step forward Ashley watched him from behind.
"As you wish, my queen."
Garett then kneeled down before the woman, a strange amount of happiness in his voice.
Taking her foot ever so gently, he lifted it towards his mouth and began to draw on it with his own saliva.
Ashley looked forward with shock, her own heart broken to the point where she forgot how to speak.
"G....G...."
She began to breathe heavily and tears came to the eyes of the messy haired girl. Her pale hands began to shiver from her seat as she watched Garett place his tongue on the foot of the woman, not holding back an ounce of his being.
Trevor looked forward with a straight face, completely serious.
"I see. So that is how it is."
"Have you realized? Ah, quit licking me, will you? Stand up already."
Lustia ordered Garett to stand and he did so, taking her side with a smile.
"Perhaps this has opened your eyes, antiheroes. I am the Queen of Lust. There is a reason why I don't believe in physical strength in the slightest. Because not a single man nor woman in this world can escape my charm."
With a mature laugh, the woman gazed back and forth between the three before her.
"Ah, it seems that you are not too deterred, rude woman. Instead the one over there seems disturbed. Is that how it is? I am terribly sorry, darling. It looks like I took the wrong one. I couldn't help it. After all, I thought the two devils would be together with one another. My bad. I'll take the other one instead then."
With a smile, Lustia looked over to Trevor.
"You as well then. Please lick my other foot."
With a smirk, Trevor stood up, closing his eyes.
Just as Garett had, he stood forward with reverence.
"As you order, my queen."
Bending down, Trevor took the foot of the woman in his hand with care, preparing himself to lick it just as Garett had.
"Did you truly believe I would lower myself to another being in such a manner?"
Right before Trevor was about to lick the leg of the woman, he dropped it as he stood up, fixing his tie.
"My oh my. My suit has been wrinkled from bending over like that. It looks like I will have to do some ironing tonight. Ah, but I notice that you've taken control of one of our party members. That certainly is troublesome, isn't it. That is quite the pressing issue as a matter of fact. You see, I am not allowed to travel more than three meters from that demon, and so if he is following your orders all the time it would restrict my own ability to go anywhere. How annoying that would be."
Trevor began to rant before the two, looking back at Ashley with a solemn expression.
"Yet there seems to be an even more pressing matter than even something of my own benefit."
"How.... how did you escape my charm?"
Lustia was looking up at Trevor with complete surprise in her eyes, unable to comprehend why her ability hadn't succeeded.
"Excessive confidence. Panic and Fear immunity. It seems that my own ego has truly outdone even the nominal description of the ability. Hahaha..."
Trevor laughed lightly, however his face soon became serious as this was no time to be laughing.
"What are you talking about?", the woman asked while staring at Trevor with confusion, looking back and forth between him and Garett.
"To put it simply, I am too arrogant to be charmed by anyone else. Your ability works on the desire of people, does it not? The desire.... to grovel at the foot of another, giving your very being to them in an effort to give them happiness, even at ones own expense.... to the point of complete obsession. The desire to have someone to look up to, far above ones self. Yet.... I cannot possibly imagine myself serving another."
Folding his arms, Trevor gazed around the room. Many of the spiritual beings were just as surprised as Lustia was.
'He rejected the queens wish.....'
'How?'
"For I see nobody in this world more worthy to serve than myself."
Closing his eyes, Trevor sat down, crossing one leg over another.
"Yet it seems that you have deeply harmed a comrade of mine. And after I went through so much with them. Do you understand exactly how much it took for me to accept another person as almost as great as myself? And three others at that? It was a long and difficult road, and one in which I cannot simply throw aside."
Garett remained standing by the side of Lustia without so much as a peep.
"Woman. I am sure you have something to say to this bitch."
"I do."
Samantha stood up, walking over to Ashley and placing a demonic hand on the spiritual shoulder of the shivering girl.
Ashley's dead and baggy eyes were looking at Garett with a longing dread, and she bit her lip as she watched.
"It's ok. He'll be back to normal in a second. He was just charmed for a moment, that's all. He didn't betray you. He didn't cheat on you. She merely used an ability on him."
"G.....G....."
The spiritual girl reached out her hand, trying to take hold of the demon before her who stared at her with cold and emotionless eyes.
"Where... did he go?", Ashley asked.
Samantha stepped forward, looking Lustia in the eyes.
"Do you not understand? So the elf resisted my charm..... what of it? I will charm you myself."
"Do you really believe you can charm someone of a higher charisma than yourself?"
"Wha-"
"Gary. What do you think you're doing? Slap that woman for me, will you?"
[Seduction]
"With pleasure.", Garett responded immediately, having been broken of the spell.
SMACK!
The demonic hand of the crimson demon left a similarly red mark on the cheek of the spiritual woman with perfectly white skin.
"W....what?"
The woman brought her hand to the mark, looking back and forth between the four and realizing that Garett had been freed from his captivity.
"What are you doing!?!?! Slap that bitch, not me!!!"
"With pleasure, my queen."
Garett's eyes immediately turned cold once more as he raised his hand towards Samantha, yet this hand was stopped by Trevor.
"Tsk tsk. I never thought you were one to raise a hand against a woman, Gary. Ah, but I suppose both of those times were under the orders of someone with mind controlling abilities."
Garett tried to remove his hand from the grasp of Trevor, however Trevor's strength was enough to keep him at bay.
"That's enough. Sit down.", Samantha ordered.
Once more Garett was released of the spell- or more particularly, put underneath Samantha's own spell.
"Ally, he's back for now, but that woman could take him at any moment. Don't hate Gary for it."
At this point, Lustia was visibly annoyed.
"Why.... how did you escape my control so easily?"
"Ah ah. And the bitch finally comes out. I knew it all along, you little tramp.", Samantha stated. "Did you think you could fool me? From the start you had no intention of allowing us to leave. Isn't that the case?"
"What of it? You people came onto my property. I have no reason to let you go so easily after invading my home like this. I'll make each and every one of you my slaves. Even if you can resist my charms, that won't matter."
"Is that so?"
"Everyone, please attack these people."
Lustia made a plea to the guards around her, innocently ordering them to rush forth.
The guards all smiled with ecstatic faces, ready to die in order to please their queen.
"Of course, my queen!!!!"
"These people have taken things too far!!! We will eliminate them before you!!!"
Rushing forth, the faces of each and every person had turned to one of passionate obsession.
"Heh.... keh.... keh keh..... ahahaha...AHAHAH!!!!!"
The spiritual girl who's heart had been torn in two and thrusted back and forth like a ship in the middle of a storm began to laugh loudly for all to hear as the guards honed in on them.
"AHAHAHAHAHH!!!!!!!! HEY, BITCH!!!! What the fuck do you have to say for yourself!?"
The screams of the spiritual girl caused the people who were rushing at her to fall to the ground with screeching pain and ringing in their ears- which literally exploded in showers of blood.
The eardrums of the people had been destroyed from the mere voice of the being before them.
"AGH!!!!"
"Ugh!!!"
"I.... hello!?!?! Hello!??!! Can anyone hear me!?!?!?"
"AHHH!!!!!"
"What's happening!?!?!?!"
The spiritual guards were incapacitated in moments, and Ashley held out a single palm with a terribly chaotic smile.
"On your knees, bitch."
Lustia fell to her knees, her mature aura dissapearing as she was thrusted forward to such a shameful position.
Ashley walked forward in front of the woman, looking down on her with vein covered eyes.
Taking the hat of the woman, Ashley put it onto her head.
"This is nice. I think I'll take it."
After doing so, she grabbed the woman by the hair, forcing her to look up at her.
Lustia could not move a muscle. Every inch of her being was completely constrained and put under a stress that a normal body would never be able to handle.
Her eyes met the insane eyes of the spirit before her, and a single thought entered the mind of Lustia.
'What..... are you?'
The spirit before her was no mere spirit.
"You wanna call yourself the queen of spirits!? AHHAHAH!!!!! As if. Peasants, bow before me."
With the flick of her fingers, the guards around Ashley moved in ways that was not normal to a regular body, eventually taking up positions of submission.
"Ah ah. Looks like your precious subordinates view me as their queen now. Isn't that right, you shitheads!? And you..... you thought that you could get away with making my comrade lick your feet?"
Ashley walked over to Garett, who was now fully aware of everything which had occurred.
Flicking his forehead with annoyance, she looked up to him with a sad expression.
"Don't scare me like that."
Garett looked at Ashley with an apologetic expression, however the girl soon returned to her own look of insanity as she stepped back before Lustia.
"Now as for you..... lick them."
'W....what's happening to me? Why is my body moving on it's own.....'
"Sit down and take off your shoes. All of you. Now."
Ashley ordered her three comrades with madness in her voice, and they all nodded while smiling, taking back their seats upon their thrones.
Removing their shoes, they stuck out their feet and Ashley began to draw lines in the air with her finger.
"Now lick away, queen."
Lustia began to crawl pitifully along the ground before coming to the feet of Garett, which she began to lick without any control over her own actions.
'W...why am I doing this!?!?! Me!?!?!?! The queen of lust!!!! I am.... this is filthy!!!! Eck!!!!!'
Lustia was filled with terror in only being able to watch as if she was a spectator of her own body.
One by one she licked the feet of the four beings in front of her, completely humiliated in front of each and every one of her subordinates who were now bowing to the spiritual being who had taken control of them as well.
'Disgusting!!!! Eck!!! My tongue!!!! I need to wash it!!!!'
As she finished licking Garett's feet, she moved onto Ashley's feet, and then Trevor and finally ended on Samantha.
'No!!!! Not this woman!!! I.... I don't want to lick her feet!!!! Anyone but her!!!! She is the one who made all this happen!!! She is the one who continued to insult me!!!! She is the reason why I lost my cool!!!!! She's.... she's the reason for all this!!!! Agh!!!! I..... I hate you!!!!'
"The feeling is mutual, slut. I hate you too."
Samantha said these words with a smile as she held out her foot, which Lustia then proceeded to lick clean.
When the licking was finished, Ashley stood up and wrapped her arms around Garett.
"You're mine. Don't be anyone else's."
Garett closed his eyes and nodded.
"I know. I'm sorry."
Wrapping his own demonic arms around her as well, he pulled her close.
The two looked into each other's eyes with madness,
"Heh.... heh heh...."
"Hahaha....."
"Keh heh keh....."
"Eheheheheh....."
And they laughed.
They laughed, and laughed and laughed.