Mio and Yumi bare their fangs and claws, readying powerful spells of their own. I step between them and say, "Wait! I don't want people getting hurt out here!"
"Try telling them that!" Mio snaps.
A burst of fire hurls towards us. Yumi deflects the blast with a mere flick of her wrist. The group of succubi scatter apart to avoid being hit.
"Ufufu… if you children wish to play, how about a game of tag?"
"Quick thinking." Mio catches on, but I'm slow on the uptake. "Time to spread your wings!"
"My wings?!" Mio lifts me into the air, and we're soaring over the building rooftops of Tsukiji city. "Wait, my hat— AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
I clutch onto Mio for dear life, legs dangling in midair. Yumi is flying beside us, giggling at me.
"Ara~ You haven't learned to fly yet?"
"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I HAVE?"
Behind us, nine succubus are hot on our tail. They bombard us with volleys of fireballs and ice shards, but many of them miss and Yumi deflects the ones getting close.
"Don't just hang there, do something!" Mio yells over the winds billowing in my ears.
"LIKE WHAT?!"
"LIKE SHOOT BACK!"
"YOU NEVER TAUGHT ME HOW, YOU SUCCUBITCH!!"
"I'M THIS CLOSE TO THROWING YOU AT THEM!"
Yumi flies up right next to us and says, "Now, now. We should be fighting them, not each other."
Our pursuers are gaining on us. We're playing defensive while on the run, but their onslaught of spells is bound to hit sooner or later. At this rate, a fight is inevitable and since I never learned any offensive spells, I'll be useless.
I haven't needed to fight for my life until now. Every waking moment I spent living has been taken for granted. I've always lived a spoiled life, looked after by Hatsumi and my parents— and now, by Mio.
Mio is in danger, and the thought of her getting hurt again… somehow pisses me off. I wish I could do more.
But what?
My thoughts are interrupted by our sudden descent. Tsukiji City is now well out of sight, and there are trees all around us. Just how far did we go?
I land hard on my feet as we touch ground, and then the succubi shortly after us. Yumi pats me on the head and lays the sunhat I lost on take-off on top. She and Mio make no more attempts to run.
"Alright, time to crack some skulls." Mio says, cracking her knuckles. She turns to me and grins. "You should go home first. Yumi and I'll catch up."
The last time, we barely handled three. Mio got hurt because she was protecting me. Because I was too selfish to trust her with the sword.
My body jumps into action. I stand between our aggressors and my protectors, arms out and wings spread. The enemy hesitates to approach any further, seemingly put off by my act. I even hear Mio and Yumi express their surprise behind me.
"Ara~"
"Saeko, you idiot!"
Their leader conjures a dark fire in her palm. "A succubus that can't cast spells, let alone fly. Our queen is afraid of this?"
"D-don't come any c-closer!" I warn, hoping they would fall for my hollow threat.
I don't know what it is she's casting, but it gives off a nasty vibe. I don't want to get hit by that, but I don't want Yumi or Mio to get hit either. Who knows what will happen?
I'm always standing behind someone.
Behind Yumi.
Behind Kana.
Behind Hatsumi.
Behind Mio.
I have to do something different that starts with stepping forward, even if it endangers my life.
The horde of succubi changes their posture. All of them raise their hands at me, igniting a similar flame. My heart is racing so fast it drowns out their crackling spells.
Maybe that's why I don't hear Mio screaming my name, "Saeko—!"
As I wait for the inevitable impact of their magic, all I hear is my own echo. "STOOOOOOOP!!"
I'm not sure how much time has passed. Just as I think I had died, Mio tackles me from behind, knocking the sunhat from my head. "Look at you, being the hero!"
I open my eyes and see what were originally vicious succubi keeled over clutching their chest. Some of them are masturbating, their moans filling the otherwise quiet forest.
"Did… did I do that??"
It's just like the dodgeball showdown with Mio.
"Ara ara~" Yumi steps on the succubus leader's head, pressing her face into the dirt. "When you lose, it's only natural to accept a punishment."
"Kuh… screw off— ahh!"
She writhes on the ground from what looks like an orgasm overtaking her. Mio kneels down next to her and caresses her butt.
"I think we trim the queen's army." Mio suggests, clenching a fist bursting with fire.
I grab Mio's hand. "We can't just kill them. They're defenseless!"
"Hello! They tried to KILL US!"
"I know… but it just feels wrong. I don't want to be a murderer."
"Eugh! You're one of those kinds of heroes. Fine." Mio licks her finger and then shoves it into the succubus' ass.
"NNGGHHAAAAA!!!!!" Her body trembles to another orgasm. "Spare me…ahh!"
Mio conjures her signature whip and drinks a familiar vial. "You're going to tell me what I wanna know while I fuck you silly. Capeesh?"
***
"Ahh! Aaaahhh!! Nnnnooooooo! I'm cumming!!"
"Tell me your queen's name, you fucking whore!" Mio yells, thrusting into the last conscious succubus and cracking the whip on her breasts. The poor thing convulses in pleasure and finally passes out on top of her other comrades. "They didn't say shit! Now my dick is sore. Just disappear already!!"
"Was she always like that…?" I ask Yumi.
"Mio's always had that kind of streak. It's what makes her so adorable!"
"That's adorable to you?!"
Though, I have to admit this is a much more welcome sight than Mio's casual attitude towards killing. When they described what transpired in Elza it seemed like they were used to that sort of thing. Like they were soldiers?
Yumi picks up her phone and jumps to her feet. "Oh, my. I have to go now."
"What? So soon?" Mio says, trying to slap a succubus awake.
"One of my boys asked me to come over for a sleepover! Ufufu~ I can't wait." Yumi flies off in a hurry.
"We should probably go home, too— WHAT ARE YOU'RE DOING?!"
Mio is strangling the unconscious leader. I rush over to pull her away, but she won't budge.
"Finishing them off, what's it look like?"
"You said you wouldn't!" I manage to wrench Mio off, but she shakes me away.
"Geh. You are such a goody two shoes. We let them go, and they're back to hunting us."
"You're trying to get a new start on Earth, right? Isn't that why you left Elza? If you go back to killing, you'll just be back to the old habits you escaped from— uuu… stop, that hurts..."
Mio sighs and pinches my cheeks, venting her frustration on me instead. "Okay! Quit making that sad face, or I'm going to hit you."
"Thanks—"
I'm suddenly pushed to the ground. My stuff scatters away, and the handcuffs fall out of my bag. I look up to an enormous ball of fire in Mio's hand.
"Just kidding. This bitch dies. Kahaha!"
Without thinking, I grab the handcuff and slam one end onto her wrist. The metal link snaps shut and extinguishes the flames, sputtering out before it can incinerate the unconscious succubus.
"What the fuck?" Mio tugs on her wrist. I cuff the other end onto my own. "What did you do to me— wait… a sec…"
Mio lied to me again. Anger bubbles up within me, but diminishes as soon as I notice our human forms fading away. Mio lifts the handcuffs up to her face with faint recognition, her eyes narrow to mere slits. "Who did you get this from?"
"A succubus from the love hotel gave it to me. Did I just fall for a trap??"
She points at the furry pink cuffs. "Did she have hair like this color?"
"How did you know?"
Mio swears under her breath. I barely make out the name she mutters, "Hana..."