I hit the sack immediately upon returning to the castle. Alice was waylaid before she could retire, which is not terribly surprising given that she was the Monster Lord and didn't need as much sleep as me anyway. I never did ask her how much she slept. I just know she usually went to bed later than me and was up before me most nights.
When I arose in the afternoon, the butler hustled me into a conference room which was different from the room where we'd been briefed on the military situation two days before. Man, this place had a lot of rooms. The Four Heavenly Knights and Alice were already there. Erubetie greeted me first, knocking me off balance.
"Luka, I made jelly earlier," she said. "Would you like to try some?"
That sounded like it was probably harmless, but possibly not. I noted Alice's reaction to Erubetie's offer. It did not seem at all harmless to her, so I politely declined. I'd have to ask her later what Erubetie had meant. It seemed uncharacteristic of her to offer me something lewd.
Since everyone seemed to be waiting for something and casual conversation was allowed, I made a point of greeting Granberia. I asked her how she was and she assured me she was in tip top condition. She looked it. Despite the fact she had been fighting almost all day every day the past few days, there wasn't a scratch on her.
"It's good to be fighting on your side, Granberia," I said.
"It feels strange," she replied. "But I'm glad as well. It's just too bad I haven't been able to see you fight since that day in the great hall. I've heard great things."
"Since she started fighting you, Luka-boy, she won't challenge me anymore," Alma Elma piped up. "Or maybe she just got tired of losing."
"What?!" Granberia howled. "I've never admitted defeat to you! Anytime you want to fight, I'm ready for you!"
"There will be no fighting among ourselves in the middle of a war," Tamamo said authoritatively. "Especially not the day before the most critical operation of this entire conflict!"
"I agree with Tamamo," I said, butting my nose in. "but I would really love to see you two go at it."
"You will NEVER see that," Granberia said. "our battles are private."
"You fought me right in front of people!" I objected.
"That was different," she said. "Our battles are…. Not for public viewing."
"You can watch, Luka-boy," she said. "I love performing in front of an audience. You can even join in if you like what you're seeing."
"Ahem," Alice said, clearing her throat. "If we're all done fooling around, let's begin."
Alice was so much better at projecting authority in her real body. It made so much of a better impression than her giving orders from below a table.
Tamamo began this particular briefing. "We want to utilize the four towers situated around the world to enact our own seal. I believe that with this seal, we can attack the angels directly. It will also enable us to interact with anything made of holy energy. That means we can enter the Gate of Heaven."
"Wait a minute," Alma Elma said. "We're going to invade heaven? That's the nature of the seal you're planning to enact?"
"That's right," Tamamo said. "we're going to try to win this war all at once. I have here four discs containing the seal we want to substitute for the one already installed. I located the sites yesterday and did some scouting. I'm pretty certain I was undetected. Each of those sites had a device containing one of these discs. All we have to do is take it out and put our disc in. Does that sound like it would work, Luka?"
"If it autoloads, then sure," I said. "But the disc readers in the lab didn't autoload. If those readers are the same…."
"They aren't," Tamamo replied. "I recognized the magic. They are using a looping spell. The spell doesn't care what's being looped. The spell is directed at those disc readers. That part at least is simple. Put the disc in, and it runs the new program. In this case, our magical seal. Aren't science and magic working together fun?"
"Are the sites guarded?" Granberia asked.
"Not by any enemy forces as far as I could see," Tamamo replied. "That does not mean they are going to make it easy for us. First, there are security cameras. I was probably undetected because I spotted the cameras and stayed outside their range. I have to assume they have other ways of knowing when someone is there as well once you get close to that device, so you probably won't gain much by going in invisible. There's another complication, though. The looping spell is very simple. But also very inflexible. If all four discs aren't switched at the same time, it won't work."
"At the same time?" Alice asked. "Does it have to be simultaneous?"
"There's a three second grace period," Tamamo replied. "If they aren't all switched within that period, the looping spell will just stick with the program it was already running. It might not allow a second attempt, at least not within a short time. That part I'm not completely clear on."
"Switching them all at the same time while under threat from the enemy?" Erubetie mused. "I can't imagine that they would just allow us to do this. They must have some way of responding immediately to intrusions."
"That is correct," Tamamo confirmed. "We know that the Next Dolls and many powerful angels can teleport. There might also be portals allowing more conventional forces to pour in."
"I'm more than ready for a rematch with any Next Doll," Granberia said. "But angels? Only Luka can fight angels until we get those discs switched."
"That is a potential complication," Tamamo admitted. "Which is why Luka and Alice are going to be at the Gate of Heaven being distracting. And if necessary…. We may need to teleport Luka from place to place to help out."
"That's really risky," Alice said. "you know that he reacts unpredictably to mind magic. It could simply not work, turn him into a vegetable, his power could go off in the split second that you're in subspace…. I'm sure there are other ways it could go wrong."
"Given that the Next Dolls are designed specifically to defeat each one of us," Erubetie added. "We may require Luka's assistance for that as well."
"Speak for yourself," Granberia said. "Arc-en-Ciel is mine. I want no help and no interference."
"I do not possess such foolish pride," Erubetie said. "If I encounter my counterpart, I will welcome assistance."
"Then get it from me!" Alice said. "Luka should not be teleported unless there is no other option! Is that understood? And not even then unless he consents!"
"I consent," I said. "Whatever you all need. Besides, I'm your tech guy and I know how much things can go wrong even when it seems like a straightforward task."
"So I guess you've all figured out that four sites means that each Heavenly Knight will go to each site," Tamamo stated. "Alice and Luka will go to the Gate of Heaven and wait until access can be gained. As I said before, it wouldn't hurt for you to draw as much attention as you can to keep angels off of the Heavenly Knights."
"Would it be possible for me to get in, even if your plan fails?" I asked.
"Yes," Tamamo confirmed. "You could conceivably blast your way in, but you'd probably be on your own. If that's the only hope we have left, then you could try it. I can't ask you to do that, though. You'd almost certainly end up like Heinrich."
"But if it's our only chance….."
"Let's just assume the plan will succeed until it doesn't," Alice said. "you charging in there alone isn't a contingency. It's not even a backup plan. It's a desperation ploy."
"Assuming our plan works," Tamamo said. "You two have to rush in and start raising a ruckus. Once they realize heaven can be invaded, they'll crowd that chokepoint with angels, making it impossible to break through. So you can't wait for the rest of us."
"Can't you just teleport in right after inserting the discs?" I asked.
"If you mean 'in', as in join you at the Gate, yes, we can do that, and barring unforeseen trouble, we will. As you've seen, however, they have anti-teleportation seals that could delay the arrival of one or all of us. So don't wait. Unfortunately, there's no way to teleport into heaven, at least not using our magic. Nanabi and Yao have been studying the data discs and finding some intriguing information on devices that might make it easier."
"The portals?" Alice asked.
"That, and some tech that is lying around that lab," Tamamo answered. "a poor kitsune foolishly pressed a button and transported herself to a locked, soundproofed room. Took us quite some time to find her and get her out."
"Is there anything else?" Alice asked. "It sounds like we've got the major details down pat."
"I think that wraps it up," Tamamo replied. "I just need to go over some minor things with each of you individually. Meeting is adjourned!"
"The Monster Lord says when the meeting is adjourned," Alice noted, somewhat peevishly.
"Oops! Sorry!" Tamamo laughed. "I've gotten used to running things in your absence! You can thank me for doing your job while you traipsed around the planet with a delicious boy later."
"Sometimes I hate you," Alice said.
"Hey!" Tamamo yelled, not at Alice, but at the rest of us. "I didn't say everyone was dismissed! We have another meeting!"
"Another meeting?" Granberia asked. "What kind of meeting? Wasn't that the strategy meeting?"
"Messages have been sent all over the world, inviting our guests," Tamamo replied. "They should all be arriving now."
A magic teleportation circle appeared in the middle of the room. Materializing inside it was the king of Sabasa!
"Hmmm," he said. "So this is the Monster Lord's castle? Alice, are you the Monster Lord?"
"Heh," Alice responded. "I welcome you to my castle."
The king bowed slightly and took a seat. A maid brought him a drink. A second magic circle appeared, this time bearing the Queen of Grand Noah.
"Attacked by angels, then invited to the Monster Lord's castle," she said. "What a strange time we live in!"
She spotted Alma Elma. "Kyuba!?"
"Hi, Queenie!" Alma Elma said cheerfully. "I'm afraid that's not my real name."
"I see," the queen said, sitting down next to the king of Sabasa.
A third magic circle brought the king of Grangold and the Queen Ant. "Long distance transportation magic?" he said, sounding impressed. "Our magic science researchers would kill to have this knowledge!"
"The Monster Lord's castle," the queen ant said. "It has been awhile."
"Oh, the traveling gourmand," the king said, noticing Alice. "I take it there is something delicious here?"
"I am the Monster Lord, Alipheese the Sixteenth," Alice replied.
"Oh, I was pretty sure that was the case," he said. "royalty knows royalty."
Notably missing was the king of San Ilia. That city was no more. But the three surviving kings weren't the only participants. Queen Elf and Queen Fairy arrived once again. The king of Sabasa made a point to get up and shake their hands. The Queen Harpy and Priestess from Plansect forest soon arrived. The mayor of Succubus Village, and Emily from Ladies Village rounded out the group.
"Everyone is already aware of the crisis facing the world," Alice said, addressing everyone. "Thus, the leaders of the various countries have been gathered together here. Our races and genders may be different, but we have one thing in common. That is Luka. We are all linked together because of his actions."
What? Me? I hadn't expected this, especially not from Alice. She'd taken to claiming credit for almost everything we'd done, not entirely unjustifiably. My face turned red. It was embarrassing, having all that royalty look at me.
"Why don't you say a little something, Luka? Just to get us all started," she prompted.
She'd asked me to do some talking before, and it had never really gone very well. I tried to compose my words carefully.
"When I started out on this journey," I began. "I intended to travel alone. I'm not going to get into all the details about my personal life, but I needed some answers and felt that a journey would provide them. As I went along, though, I kept on getting drawn into all of your lives. Not just your lives, but the lives of a lot of ordinary people as well, both monsters and humans. And from traveling with this amazing lady, I started to learn about how humans and monsters saw the world. I learned about the things standing in the way of humans and monsters coexisting. I learned about places where they already did to some extent. But most of all, I learned that we're really not all that different. Not in the ways that matter most. We love our families. If we're responsible for people, as all of you in this room are, then we care about those people. That responsibility weighs heavily on all of you, whether you're a human or a monster."
That last line drew a chorus of agreement from the assembled royalty. I continued. "The way I see it, we need each other. Not just in this conflict, but in the aftermath as well. Let's not go back to hating each other, or exploiting each other. Let's seize this opportunity to find a new way forward! Let's make a better world out of the ashes of this one!"
I strongly resisted the urge to conclude with the last lines of the President's speech from Independence Day, as inspiring as that might have sounded. I was already getting a big round of applause. The Knights especially were looking at me as if seeing me for the first time. I decided to quit while I was ahead, and sat down.
"I have something to say as well," Tamamo said, standing up. "Luka is younger than anyone here. What he didn't tell you, but which I feel is important, is that he's not even from here. As in, not from this world. Ilias brought him here for her own purposes. But as naïve, idealistic, and inexperienced as he was…"
"And idiotic," Alice added, smirking.
"He almost singlehandedly made the world a better place through his decisions and actions," Tamamo continued. "We're all here because of him. Because he had a dream that monsters and humans could coexist. And somehow, through his own force of will, he brought us to the edge of that reality."
"I agree completely," the king of Grangold said. "ever since Luka saved our city, we've made it a primary goal of our administration to further coexistence between humans and monsters. Before this war started, we'd already begun to welcome monsters of other species into our city."
"I wouldn't call Luka's dream pure idealism or naivete," the king of Sabasa said. "no one here has fought more battles against monsters than I have, yet I have always held out an open hand to any who wanted to live peacefully beside us. Although it seems I was still neglectful of the needs of the monster communities that lived closest to us."
"Grand Noah has always strived for coexistence," the queen said. "It hasn't been perfect. Although I agree with Luka that we are indeed the same in the ways that matter the most, the colosseum is proof that we still have much to work on to achieve a true, responsible, coexistence."
"I commend the human side for being so open-minded," Alice said. "to be honest, I never expected that I would ever hear that from human leaders. You've given me hope for the future, all of you. But I also want to hear from the monster side."
"I can only add that we would perish without humans," the mayor of Succubus Village said. "we are all female. And some of us are more dependent on males as a food source than others. A voluntary food source, of course. Luka taught us that. It's worked out far better than I would ever have predicted. The men are happy, we are happy. Even some human females have started to immigrate to our village!"
"We depend on humans," the Harpy Queen agreed. "We would all die out in a generation without them."
"There will always be issues to work out," Tamamo noted. "Cultural differences and different basic needs. That's going to require a lot of work. It's going to require a lot of patience and understanding. Luka has been invaluable in that respect, introducing us to new moral concepts that even the best among us had never spent much time thinking about. But for right now, we must work together to face the immediate threat. We are preparing for a large scale counteroffensive."
Tamamo explained the plan to the assembled leaders. They were impressed, but stressed that they had no forces to spare for an invasion of Heaven.
"You don't need to send forces into heaven," Tamamo said. "We monsters and Luka will take care of that. As you say, you have your own problems. We have intelligence that the heavens are massing for a renewed assault. It will happen tomorrow. This is why we wanted everyone assembled today. The invasion of Heaven has the best chance to succeed if the bulk of their forces are tied up fighting on the ground."
"I see," the king of Sabasa said. "they will assume Heaven is impregnable, and so they won't devote significant forces to protecting it. So our role is to occupy their armies."
"You've got it!" Tamamo said. "They may try to withdraw their armies once Heaven is breached. You must do your best to prevent this withdrawal."
"Luka is capable of defeating a goddess?" the king of Grangold asked skeptically. "I am all for this plan, and I trust Luka completely. But I need to hear it from his mouth. Is this actually something you can do?"
"As Tamamo said, I come from another world," I explained. "apparently I'm stronger than the goddess. In theory."
"Stronger than the goddess?!" the king of Sabasa said. "I believe you, but do you have the intention of replacing her?"
"No!" I said. "Wow! No, no, a thousand times no! I'm way too unsophisticated to be a god, and besides, my power seems to mainly be raw destructive force. But it seems to be force that can actually hurt even a goddess. So… I don't know what happens after she falls."
"The people who formerly worshipped her will just have to find a new path," the queen of Grand Noah said.
"Well I for one pledge that not a single angel will make it back to heaven to stop you!" the king of Sabasa said, rising from his seat.
"Although Grand Noah was sacked," the queen of Grand Noah said. "we've assembled a strong force of monsters to defend the city against a new invasion."
"We will aid any locales that need us," the Queen Elf pledged.
"My fairies have been spreading out over the world to establish a network of transportation magic that can rival anything the forces of heaven can do," the Queen Fairy said. "with that, we can move any forces anywhere in the world."
There were other details worked out over the next hour, mostly boring stuff about logistics and tactics which I won't bore you further with here. The summit meeting was a complete success. All the leaders returned to their home countries to begin issuing orders for the following day's battles. Despite the euphoria of a successful summit, I was fearful. This plan seemed to have so many moving parts, any one of which could sink the whole thing. The Next dolls especially worried me. If all four faced their counterparts among the Heavenly Knights, what were the odds that all four Knights would prevail? Was I capable of providing effective aid with just my skills and the use of one subdued spirit at a time? At least Alice was back at full strength. That would be a huge difference maker.
I went back to my room when the meeting adjourned. It was still pretty early. I sat for a few moments and continued to brood. There were many points on my journey where I had come close to dying. But I didn't recall going to sleep with the possibility of it being my last. Not even the night before I stormed the very castle I was sleeping in. Death had certainly been a very real possibility, but I'd considered enslavement to be far more likely. Only Erubetie had wanted me dead. There was something more going on, however. It wasn't just about me this time. This was going to be the final, ultimate battle. Even if we won, it was very likely that people I cared about would die. I might never see Alice, or Granberia, or Tamamo again. I resolved that I couldn't go to sleep unless I'd had a chance to say all that I needed to say to them.
First, however, I decided to check on Eden one last time. Despite all that she'd done, something made me think that she was vital to the future of this world. Maybe I was just being like Luke Skywalker with Darth Vader, but I felt there was real good in her. Not just her magic at play, but real goodness. She just followed the wrong master, much as Darth Vader had. I decided I had to try to reach her one last time. I also wanted to see how she was coming along at getting her divinity back. I did not want to run into her in the heavens. I knew that I could never defeat a Seraph without using my power, and my power was not unlimited in supply. Even expending all of it, I had not destroyed Ilias, only hurt her. If I had to use up some of it before even reaching her, I wasn't sure how we'd succeed. I guessed that if the plan to seal all the holy energy in the world worked, maybe Alice and the Knights would be able to pick up the slack.
I went down to the dungeon to go see Eden. She was there, as before, dressed in a shirt and pants, sitting on her bed. She noticed me and came to the bars of her cell. Her demeanor was friendly, as always, at least until you got under her skin.
"How have you been doing?" I asked.
"Quite well," she said. Without any kind of lead up, she removed her shirt, exposing her breasts. More significantly, removing the shirt exposed her wings, which stretched out to their full span. It was quite majestic.
"You managed to discharge my power?" I asked, surprised.
"I did," she said, then showed me her formerly wounded side. All I had managed to do was close the wound. She had made it disappear entirely. "I used up most of it finishing the healing you started. The rest I experimented with, trying different things. Your power is really quite remarkable. There seem to be no limitations on what it can do. I was limited to nondestructive uses since I pledged to not do any damage while I was here."
"How did you do it?" I asked. "I still have so much trouble accessing it myself."
"Come," she ordered. "Take my hand. I can show you."
I was wary. "Oh, Luka, don't be such a wimp! I've pledged not to harm anyone as long as I'm here! This is not a trick."
Reluctantly, I took her hand. My senses immediately awakened to my power. I felt all of it. I hadn't felt it that clearly since I first felt it when facing Ilias. It wasn't raging, it was just there, ready to be commanded.
"You feel that?" she said, smiling. "Keep holding onto me. Get a good feel for it. Once you get used to how it feels, you'll be able to find it whenever you need it. Touch it, play with it. I have nowhere else to be. Take as long as you need."
I held onto her hand and basked in the glow of it all. It was truly incredible. It was so easy once I got used to it. There were no complicated hand movements, no arcane words to remember. Whatever I could imagine, whatever I could envision, it could do. The only weakness was that it wasn't unlimited. The greater my wish, the more power it required. I felt that I understood it, finally. Heading into the final battle, I would have it at my complete disposal. If the spirits could be freed as well, who could stop me?
After some time, I released her hand. "Thank you for that," I said sincerely. "But you've just given me a powerful weapon to fight you and your goddess with. Why?"
"Because I have faith in you, Luka," she said. "I don't believe you'll use this power to do evil. If you do end up using it against Ilias… maybe it's meant to be."
"So your divinity seems to have returned?" I asked.
"Not enough of it to break out just yet, but I anticipate I will be checking out of the Monster Lord's fine accommodations sometime tomorrow."
"Oh," I said. "I hope that it won't be to fight me."
"To be honest, I don't know what it will mean. I am concerned. When my divinity began to return, I expected to be able to feel my goddess. But even though it has mostly returned, I still can't feel her. I am… worried."
"Maybe it's just the last thing to return?" I suggested helpfully.
"Perhaps," she conceded. "I am unused to the absence of her presence. I have a very bad feeling."
"She's the goddess," I said. "I'm sure she's fine."
"I keep on thinking about what Black Alice said," Eden worried. "I need to get back as soon as I can."
If only Eden knew what we had planned! Then she'd really be worried! I couldn't worry about what was going on with Ilias, however. Maybe she was offworld again with Promestein. Or maybe Promestein and Black Alice really had done something, as they'd hinted? Whatever the case, an attack was apparently coming tomorrow. Regardless of who was in charge up in heaven, they had to be stopped.
"Eden," I asked. "I do hope that you won't just go back to your old ways after this. I really do believe in you. I think that you can be better. Please prove me right."
"Oh, Luka," she said, truly appearing to be touched. "you have changed me. You saved an enemy from suffering. It seems that you've been doing a lot of that since Ilias brought you here. As I've told you, I cannot rebel against my goddess. But I promise you, I will intercede with her. She listens to me. I do not question her often. She takes my advice all the more seriously on the rare occasions that I do."
"Did you warn her about Black Alice and Promestein?" I asked.
"Of course!" she insisted. "I cannot say more on that, although you may already know why she relies on them. I could not dissuade her from utilizing them, but she did take my concerns seriously."
"I hope that she does more than that when you urge her to stop this war," I said. "and if she refuses, I hope you do the right thing."
"What? Join you?" she scoffed. "I would turn the tables on you. Why don't you be what Ilias believed you could be? The hero that the world needs."
"The world doesn't need me to lead a genocide against monsters," I said hotly. "It never needed that."
"You truly believe that, after all you've seen? How many monsters have tried to hurt you? Can you truly say that more than a small minority of monsters have been kind to you? Imagine what it's like for the vast numbers of humans on this world who are weaker than you."
"I've sealed a lot of those bad monsters," I responded. "and once we win this war, I'll seal any monsters that continue to harm humans. But there are good monsters in this world, and I think most monsters just need to be shown the right way to get along with others. They take men by force because they have to, not necessarily because they want to."
"Oh, did you experience a lot of monsters telling you sorrowfully that they were so sorry to have to kidnap and rape you and maybe eat you, but they really had no choice? Or did they gleefully tell you in obscene detail what was in store for you? For many humans, it's the last thing they ever hear! I fight against that! Why won't you?"
"You're not entirely wrong," I admitted. "But in just a few short months I've seen so much progress. The human kingdoms and the Monster Lord are all trying to make the world a better place. The only thing that's standing in the way of that is your goddess. As long as she's the foremost impediment to monsters and humans coexisting, she'll be my enemy!"
"I am truly sorry to hear that," Eden replied softly. "Nevertheless, I love you. Ilias loves you as well. Even to the end, we shall be merciful towards you. Did you enjoy my gentle touch, Luka? Once you are defeated, I will ensure that you enjoy that love and gentleness for all eternity. That is how I will repay the kindness you have done me."
"I… I don't even know how to reach you. As different as monsters and humans are in so many ways, it seems that a Seraph is more different still. And yet two of your sisters figured it out. I just hope you do too. Goodbye, Eden. I hope that when I see you again, it won't be as an enemy."
"I hope for the same thing, Luka," she said.
I was pretty nervous about knocking on the other Heavenly Knights' doors, so I decided to start with the one who I seemed to have the most easygoing relationship with.
"Oh, hi, Luka, come on in!" Tamamo said brightly. "I can't take too long, so busy as you know. I think I can guess why you're here. This isn't my first end of the world battle. I know what you're feeling right now. I'm flattered that you wanted to talk to me."
"I guess the last time we spoke privately was Yamatai Village," I said. "Seems like an eternity ago."
"It wasn't that long ago at all," she said. "Although I understand why it seems so long to you. So much has changed for you since then."
"I never did thank you for talking to Alice. It made me really uncomfortable but I guess it needed to be said. She started treating me much better after that."
"I'm still not too thrilled with her as far as you are concerned," Tamamo said with a frown. "The night is still young and there are so many beautiful monsters here that would love a taste of you. You could be having the time of your life on what could be your last night alive."
"I suppose I could if I wanted to, but I don't really want to," I said. "I'm afraid I'm hopelessly in love."
"Hmph," Tamamo said. "you act like you have to earn her love, but it's the other way around."
"I don't know that I agree with that," I argued. "she's done so much for me. Far more than I've done for her."
"Take it from someone who's been around a LONG time," Tamamo said. "It's not about what you do for each other, it's about how generous you are in doing what you can. You give all of yourself to her. You'd do anything for her. She's been stingy by comparison. Now don't get me wrong, I love that you feel that way about her. She's had a rough life. By being so wonderful to her, you've been wonderful to me as well. You saved her life when she was walking down the road to self-destruction."
"When did you know that was going to happen?" I asked.
"She never told me directly, but when she returned to the castle without you and went to wait in her throne room, it didn't take much imagination to figure it out. I had always considered that it might be a possibility. Once I knew that was what she was up to, I was determined to stop you at all costs. I'm afraid I dishonored myself a bit. I just couldn't have another Monster Lord die so stupidly on my watch."
"I thought it was all part of the test to prove I was worthy to marry her," I said morosely.
"Oh, Luka!" Tamamo said in surprise. "that's what you get for jumping to conclusions! Did she tell you that you had to prove you were stronger than the Monster Lord to earn the right to marry her? Proving strength isn't about beating her in combat. I can assure you, going in there with what you had wasn't enough. You beat her because she wanted you to beat her. You're not stronger than she is, at least not that way. Even with your power, I'm confident she'd find a way to beat you. You only have so much, while she can throw deadly spells all night long. Being stronger than the Monster Lord isn't about being able to beat her up! It's about so much more!"
"Do you think I qualify, then?"
"Silly, I knew you qualified from the moment I first met you in that cave!" she laughed. "You've since proved you are stronger than her so many times! The most important was when you refused to kill her. No matter what happens, you'll always be welcome in this castle, and in my room. And if she continues to be an idiot, you can come here anytime you want. If you need to talk, if you want some tail love. Even if you want to be my husband."
That knocked me back. I'd heard Tamamo had taken lovers before, but was she basically proposing to me? This conversation had gone in a very unexpected direction!
"Why am I so attractive to monster girls?" I asked. "I was never popular with women where I came from. Even in Ilias Village, women were sometimes a little interested but never really competed for my attention. I know I'm not much to look at. Is it that I taste good?"
"Of course!" Tamamo giggled. "but don't sell yourself short in the looks department. You've developed a pretty hot bod from all the exertions you've been putting yourself through. Monsters look at men with different eyes than human women do. Sure, we like a handsome man as much as the next girl, but more importantly if we're talking about a mate, we want someone with strong genes. Your smell is also something that really attracts us because most of us have more sensitive smell than human women. You smell amazing! Most important of all, Luka…. We've seen some things few humans have seen. Your heart. Your bravery. Your determination to do what's right. That's attractive to all women, no matter their species. Maybe you just didn't get a chance to show that to the ladies of your world. But here, in this castle, if you wanted to take a bride, you could almost have your pick. If you just want a lover, there's no one here who would refuse you. Just between you and me, Nanabi thinks you're dreamy."
I was deeply touched and flattered, but this was also making me blush. I sought to change the subject. "So something's been bothering me that I've meant to ask you for some time. I just kept forgetting. Why did you join the succession battle for the Monster Lord? Alice thought it was a lack of confidence in her abilities."
"I know," Tamamo said. "and I've been content to let her think that, because at her age the most dangerous thing for a young leader is overconfidence. So what I tell you here has to stay between you and me. The reason I'd never competed before was that the coronation battle was always one on one. As powerful as she is, she didn't stand a chance in a three on one battle. As the obvious favorite, I was afraid they would cooperate to defeat her first. My entrance prevented that. In the end, I think I misjudged them. They all truly fought as individuals."
"What would have happened if it had come down to you and Alice?" I asked.
"I committed to the battle, so once I was in I really did try to win," she replied. "I wouldn't have felt bad if I'd beaten Alice, because it would have proven that she wasn't ready. Even so, I am too long lived. I have no desire to be Monster Lord for that long. I would have stepped down as soon as I thought she was truly ready. But as you know if she's told you about it, I didn't get very far. I focused on Erubetie because I judged her to be the toughest matchup for Alice. We ended up eliminating each other."
"Those Next Dolls seem like an even tougher matchup," I said. "they were designed to beat you. Do you have a plan for that?"
"I haven't fought her yet, so I'm going in a bit blind," she said. "Still, I'd rather face a Next Doll than angels that I can't even touch. I'm pretty confident though. There's no way she can beat me! My tail is fluffier than hers! But enough about me. Let's talk about your plans if you survive this. I know you want to marry Alice. If that can't happen, what will you do? Do you want to go home?"
"I don't know," I answered. "If Alice doesn't want to marry me, I guess I still want to stay. She promised that even if she can't take that step, she wants to continue building a better world with me."
"A worthy endeavour, to be sure," Tamamo said. "But not really fair to you. By making her think that the status quo can go on forever, it may make her feel that she can delay making a commitment indefinitely."
"Do you think she loves me?" I asked. "Even if she won't make a commitment, that's what really matters. As long as I know that, I can happily just be as we are now for the rest of my life."
"Ah, now that's the question I was waiting for you to ask all the way back in Yamatai Village," she said. "The one that I said you might not like the answer to. For what it's worth, I do think she loves you. I also think that she's afraid of being vulnerable. She's been willing to comfort you when you're vulnerable. You probably were surprised that she could show kindness like that, given how much she goes out of her way to show you a hard exterior. You're down, she picks you up. She's a natural leader. That's not hard for her. But to give her heart to you, that's going to be difficult for her. She's too responsible to just make empty promises. I suspect, despite her shows of jealousy, that she'd be relieved if you married someone else. Now don't go and do that, unless she turns you down flat or you get tired of waiting for her! Don't worry, I know that girl better than she knows herself sometimes. If I get the impression she's not going to make a move, I'll let you know."
"Well, I know there's a war going on, so I understand. She's explained it to me. I get where she's coming from."
"I do too, Luka, but tonight…. Tonight might be your last night together. I hope she doesn't treat this as just another night. If she goes into your room just looking to feed, I'll be very disappointed in her."
"Once again, thank you for always being so open with me," I said gratefully. "I really wish we'd spent more time together."
"I do too! Like I said, I wish it had been me that went with you on your journey! Things would have been so much different! All in all, I'm glad, though. You've been so good for Alice. Anything you ever need from me is yours for the asking. Now if you don't mind, I am really busy. So much to plan. I know you probably want to talk to some of the others. They should have more time. I think I might have taken too much upon myself. On the bright side, it means the younger warriors can focus on fighting."
"Goodbye, Tamamo, and I really hope I see you when it's all over," I said, opening the door to leave.
"I hope so too! And don't forget, Nine Moons coming your way! You're not getting out of that one with anything short of a betrothal! I get really horny after a good fight!"
"I'll look forward to it," I said. "Thank you."
Wow. That had been so emotionally satisfying. Marry Tamamo? It didn't sound like a terrible idea. I wasn't sure if I could get over a centuries old woman in a child's body, but she was so sweet and wise I decided I might want to give it a try. But truth be told, Tamamo hadn't even been on my radar until a few moments ago. The one person I had a deep affection for besides Alice… well, I had planned on seeing her and then going back to my room, but I was too nervous. Granberia was intimidating. I knew she shared my affections but wasn't sure how she'd react to me visiting her on the eve of a great battle. I decided to stall for time and visit someone just as intimidating, but who held lighter consequences for my heart: Erubetie.
Unsurprisingly, she didn't expect me. "Did you need me for something?" she asked.
"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you," I said apologetically. "I'm just having a tough time dealing with the likelihood that some of us are going to die tomorrow. I just wanted to talk."
"Oh," she said. "I'm glad you came, then. I have much to say to you."
"Really? I… did not expect that."
"I am afraid as well," she said. "Not for myself, but for my children. What happens to them if we fail tomorrow? Even if we succeed, what kind of world will we live in afterwards?"
"I don't know how much this is worth to you, but I promise I'll do all I can to make things better for your people."
"I believe that, now," she said gently. "I am.. glad I did not kill you. I cannot say that I love humans. I don't even trust them. However, you are not like them. You did not deserve to bear the brunt of my wrath."
"This is kind of awkward for me to ask, but I know you're a powerful slime. Why didn't you just turn acidic and burn me?"
"I had every intention of doing so," she explained. "after I trapped or subdued you. To use that tactic on you without a decent chance of killing you would have been excessively cruel. Not just to you, but to Granberia, who had to face you after me. I was prepared to disappoint her by killing you. She would have gotten over that, in time. Presenting her with a disfigured, tortured opponent would have broken her heart. She would never have forgiven me. She wanted you so badly to be hers. Taking you away is one thing. Giving you to her permanently damaged… She would have been forced to slay you as an act of mercy."
"I thank you for fighting with such honor," I said. "I was most afraid of facing you."
"As you should have been," she said. "Although in truth, I was unprepared for you. I was more confident of victory than any of the others. I put up no significant defense against your speed and that sword, and with your power of the earth I could not hold you. Had I been more prepared, I would have figured out how to win. In that, you taught me a lesson thatI will use to fight my own opponent tomorrow."
"You're expecting another attack by that Next Doll?" I asked.
"I am," she said. "and I admit I am afraid. I do not think I can beat her. I may require your assistance. I know the Monster Lord said I should not teleport you, but do not be surprised to see me. It is essential that we get that seal enacted. I am not emotionally attached to you as she is. I say up front that I intend to disobey her and use you if necessary. I know that you feel the same as I do."
"I do," I said. "Please use me if you need me."
"I have acquired a great deal of respect for you, human. I do hope that we can be partners in the new world you envision. Should you survive and I do not, please help the Monster Lord take care of my children. They have suffered so much."
"I will," I promised. "You know, the first monster girl I ever met was a slime."
"Oh?" Erubetie said, interested. "did she give you her name?"
"I'm afraid she didn't. She seemed nice, though. I was ignorant. I drove her off, thinking she meant to terrorize the village."
"I take it you did not harm her?"
"I don't think so," I said. "I really tried not to."
"Despite your introduction to this world being Ilias Village, you still had compassion in your heart for those you were taught to hate. That is impressive. If you get an opportunity, you really should let a slime pleasure you someday. The things we can do are remarkable. We cannot match a succubus in terms of pure intensity of pleasure, but for sheer variety, no other race of monster matches us."
"I already had…er.. relations with Undine."
"Oh?" Erubetie lifted an eyebrow. "that makes sense. You needed a stronger contract."
"I was in a bit of a mood so I sold you short in that regard," Undine said. "So count yourself still a virgin when it comes to slimes."
"Heh. Undine just said…" I started.
"I heard her," Erubetie interrupted. "she said that for my ears as well. I should have listened to her. You are indeed worthy of her power."
"Thank you so much," I said. "I guess we'll probably be seeing a lot of each other tomorrow."
"Let us hope not," Erubetie replied. "I have some ideas. You have probably been told that we Knights are not just powerful because of our power, but because of our resourcefulness. I do not believe those… machines to be capable of that. If there is a way to beat them, we shall find a way."
"I hope so. Good night, Erubetie."
"Good night, Luka. And good luck."
I couldn't put it off any longer. If I wanted to have a heart to heart with Granberia it was now or never. I apprehensively knocked at her door. She answered and looked surprised to see me. She ushered me inside. So far, so good.
"So finally, the decisive battle," she said. "I'm itching to get going. You know how much I enjoy it."
I was staring. I'd only ever seen her in her armor. In her room, she was wearing just a small top, almost like a sports bra, and shorts. I'd never realized just how slim she was. It was unbelievable how much strength she had in such a slight form.
"You look… amazing," I said.
"What? Oh, you've never seen me like this. Do you really think I'm pretty?"
"Very," I said. "I'm sorry, I just wasn't prepared to see you in anything but your armor."
"Did you think I wore my armor to bed?" she said with a slight smile.
"Of course not!" I said, now realizing I was really screwing this up. "It's just that most of our interactions have been… violent."
"I thought they were passionate, personally," she said. Wait, was she teasing me?
"I'm glad you came to see me," she said, turning serious. "I thought of going to see you, but I feared Alipheese would be with you. What I want to say to you, I want to say privately."
"Oh wow," I said. "I wanted to do that as well."
"Why don't you start, then?" she prodded. "I'm not used to this."
"I just wanted to say that I was never into fighting," I started. "Well, that's not entirely true. I did some fighting on my world, mainly for competition, and I did it a little more when I lived in Ilias Village. But mostly I saw it as just using my skill to protect the people who had been so generous to me."
"I'm not surprised that you were a warrior before coming to this world," she responded. "But if you didn't do it for the thrill, why challenge me in Iliasburg?"
"You want the truth?" I said ruefully. "Alice disparaged my sword skills and the fights with monsters I'd had before you were a slime and a slug girl. I looked pretty bad against both of them."
"Ah, yes, I can see how such opponents would be frustrating for a swordsman. Seeing me with my sword drawn gave you a chance to prove something."
"Yes, that's exactly it! I knew I would lose. Even having been in Ilias Village only two years, I'd heard about your legend. I recognized who you were as soon as I saw you. I just wanted to look good for a short time and show her I really did know how to use a sword."
"You did well, although your technique was atrocious," she replied. "Alipheese really helped you improve. You did beat me that first time."
"Only because it wasn't a sword fight anymore," I pointed out.
She laughed at that. "You would be amused at how much I rampaged around the castle, challenging anyone I could to grapple with me so that I could get better. I still need to avenge that loss, and believe me, I will. But swordplay is my first love. I couldn't turn down the chance to go all out with you. I've never been able to do that against a human opponent before. I can count on my fingers the number of times I've done that with a non-human opponent."
"Our battles were really something," I agreed.
"The way I see it, we are tied at two wins apiece," she said. "if we survive this, we must duel at least one more time."
"I'd love too, but new rule: no Vaporizing Rebellion Sword. That was… rough."
"That was why I wanted to speak to you," she said, now looking pensive. "I needed to apologize to you for that. My battle lust has never been higher than it was at the volcano. I was wounded, nearly in a berserker rage. I had never had the opportunity to use that move on a living opponent. I told myself that my sword would not take your life, but I did not consider how horrifying it would be to be cut apart the way you were. Seeing it myself, on a living person's body…. I knew I'd gone too far. And then… I took further liberties with you. I should not have done that to an opponent as honorable as you."
"That means a lot to me," I said. "Don't feel bad about what you did to me afterwards. It took away a little of the pain. Made me focus on the pleasure of what you were doing. It probably also helped me to pass out, which was a mercy. And I really do like you. As I said once before, I just wish we could have gotten there some other way."
"If Alipheese continues to be a fool, I would very much like to get to know you in ways that don't involve violence. Believe it or not, I do enjoy other things. I just haven't had much opportunity to do so in recent months. I've been obsessed with you, and now this war.... maybe when this is over, we could…. Do something else."
"I'd really like that," I said. "Even if Alice does want me, I'd like to spend more time with you. You're a fascinating person, Granberia."
She blushed a little. Then she brightened. "Would you like to see my sword?"
"Ummmm… Sure!" I said.
"Here, come sit on the bed with me," she said excitedly, reaching for her huge sword. I sat with her and she laid the sword across both our laps. The steel was warm to the touch. "This blade was forged just for me, from the highest quality dragonsteel, to the specifications I desired. Although I have a great deal of skill and can avoid killing opponents with a normal sword, I didn't want to have to hold back. The enchantment reflects my will. If I desire to kill, it will cleave even the most powerful opponent in half. Should I not desire to take a life, no matter how grievous the cuts, they will not prove fatal."
"Well, I can tell you it definitely works," I said. "I've been on the wrong end of this sword a whole bunch of times and I'm fully healed."
"May I see?" she asked nervously. "Would you take your shirt off?"
I wasn't sure I liked where this was going. I was sitting on her bed, now she wanted me to join her in a state of near undress. I decided that she was too honorable to let herself get carried away again. I removed my shirt. She gasped at all the scars, nearly all of them caused by her sword. She traced her fingers along them.
"Unless you are particularly proud of these, you really should let someone heal you properly," she said. "These scars are beyond any of the Four Heavenly Knights, but there are healers in this castle who can restore you to the way you were. There may also be scar tissue on your organs. That could be dangerous if left untreated too long."
Her hand stopped when she reached my Dragon Seal. She froze. "How did you get that? Why did you get that? Were you… seeking it for me?"
Oh boy. Now it was going to get awkward. "I'm sorry, Granberia," I said. "I ran into the pyramid of the Phoenix to rescue a princess. It turns out she was taking the Dragon Seal Trial. For you. I was just accompanying her."
"Why am I not surprised that you would complete the trial successfully?" she said in wonder, clearly surprised, despite what she said. "Who was this princess? You say she did it for me?"
"You've met her," I said. "Sara, the Sabasan Princess."
"Her?" Granberia said. "I admit, she does have spirit. She also has monster blood. To take on a vampire and hold the upper hand, even briefly…. Hmmmm….."
"I'm sorry I didn't do it for you," I said. "I didn't know that such a thing was required. Before I fell in love with Alice, I was very interested in getting to know you better. It's just…."
"It's just that fate had different plans," she said sadly. "Sitting in my room with me is the most worthy warrior I have ever encountered, with the Dragon Seal that would entitle him to be my husband should we both wish it. I never would have guessed that this could ever happen to me. Maybe it will happen again. I am still young, with many years in front of me."
"Oh, Granberia, I'm so sorry," I said. "I hope I haven't caused you pain by coming here."
"Do not misunderstand," Granberia said, cutting me off. "In my own way, I love Alipheese as much as you do. As rare as it is for a dragonkin to find a man worthy of being her husband, it is even rarer for a Monster Lord to be able to marry. In fact, it has never happened. The only Monster Lord to ever marry had to surrender her position. Alipheese would be the first to have a husband while serving as Monster Lord. I am happy for her, and for you."
I hugged her. She stiffened at first, then melted into my embrace. We sat there holding each other for some time. When we parted, her eyes were moist. "She may hesitate to say this, but I will not. I love you, Luka. Don't feel pity for me. I do not need to have you in my bed or your hand in marriage to love you. If you marry Alipheese, you will live here and I will see you whenever I wish. I will be able to cross swords with you. As the foremost warriors in the world, she will send us on missions together. I am satisfied. Alipheese needs you. Her happiness would be my happiness. But should she be a fool, I would like to revisit this conversation."
She laughed quietly. I did too. I was sure that we were about to begin a relationship as deep and satisfying as any romantic relationship could ever be. Perhaps even moreso, since I felt we understood each other so well. What did that make us? I wasn't sure, but I was eager to find out. And if Alice should decide she didn't want me? Well, I was now more sure that I loved Granberia than I ever had been before. Marrying Granberia would be like marrying my best friend.
"It's getting late," she said. "We should both get some rest. Have you spoken to Alma Elma, yet?"
"No," I said. "I wasn't really planning on it. I'm not sure what we would say. She's never serious and I don't know that I really like her. After having these moments with you, I think I'd like to just go to bed with this good feeling in my heart."
"I know what you mean," she said, smiling. "But Alma Elma and I are close. And… she really wanted to speak with you. Seriously, for once. I promise you, if you go to her room, you won't be disappointed. Please do. For me."
"All right," I promised. "For you, I'll hear her out. Goodnight, Granberia. Please come back tomorrow."
"You too, Luka," she said. "It would be a terrible shame if you died before I could avenge my loss to you at grappling."
I went to Alma Elma's room. She answered, dressed in her usual. Like everyone except Tamamo, she seemed surprised.
"Luka!" she said. "I wasn't expecting you. What brings you to my room?"
There was no sense of playfulness in her voice. She seemed pensive. Even so, my dislike for her was still real.
"I only came because Granberia told me to," I replied. "she said you wanted to say something to me."
"I did," she said. "but I was sure you wouldn't come. Now I'm not sure what to say. I rehearsed it, but now I'm at a loss."
This was not like Alma Elma at all. I had to admit I was intrigued. "Go ahead," I said. "We're allies now. If you're wanting to make a peace offering, I'm willing to listen."
"Luka," she began. "I… I'm so sorry for the way I treated you. You see, as a succubus, my experience with men is… well, I see men at their worst. At their most lustful, at their most deceitful. In my own way I'm a defender of the weak like Granberia. Bad men… if I see a man treating a woman badly, I'll seduce him and break him. Not one has ever failed to fall for my seduction. Until you."
"I really wanted to," I admitted. "Oh, how I wanted to! I hated you, and I lusted after you at the same time. I wanted to do everything you said I wanted to do. But I'd promised Alice I wouldn't let a woman touch me voluntarily. I was ready to endure you raping me. Heck, I even wanted it. That spell you put on me…. I wanted release so badly. And your skills…. I haven't been able to stop thinking about some of the things you've done to me. I hate it, and I crave it at the same time."
"And yet if I offered you whatever you wanted right this moment, you'd refuse me, wouldn't you?" she asked.
"I would," I said.
"Your promise to Alice has expired, you know," she pointed out. "she has no claim on you. I know her. No matter what pleasures you experienced tonight with me, she wouldn't hold it against you. Anything you want is yours for the asking."
"I know," I said. "But I love her. Until she tells me that she doesn't love me back, I'm devoted to her."
"I was wrong about you," she said sorrowfully. "I never imagined a man like you existed. When I heard Alice had herself a playtoy, I wanted to get rid of you. I knew you'd break her heart. At first I just wanted to dispose of you before she got too attached, but she fooled me. She made me think she was just interested in you. On an intellectual level. So I got a little less serious, which as you know is my default. Then at the coliseum, when I knew she was really into you, I wanted to expose you as just another man who couldn't be trusted. I knew in my bones that you had a dark side and I was going to bring it out. I was going to make you abuse me right in front of her."
"You weren't too far off the mark," I replied. "I wanted to do those things. So badly. I hated you with every fiber of my being, and I don't hate easily. I wanted to hurt you. I wanted to humiliate you."
"I guess even you have a dark side," she said. "Maybe I'm right that all men are the same, deep down. But the fact that you didn't do that, the fact that you didn't do that despite me making it almost impossible for you to avoid doing it…. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't accept it. There I am, with the greatest pussy in the world, poised right above your throbbing cock, and you still refuse me. Your mind, nearly broken. You should have barely been able to think straight, and yet all you could think of was Alice. Do you know how quickly almost all men forget about their wives just from being in close proximity to me?"
"I guess a lot of men are like that," I said. "I'm not unique. Rare, I guess, but not unique."
"I learned something from you, then. Seeing only bad men made me think all men were bad. I was trying to protect the Monster Lord, but instead I almost denied her happiness. So again, I'm so, so sorry. I wish I could make it up to you. But the only way I know how is… well, you know."
"Oh, I can think of another way," I said.
"Really?" she said hopefully. "Tell me, I'll do almost anything! Except eat potatoes!"
"Work with me," I said. "let's build a better world. Together. Did you know that I taught succubi about consent?"
"I did hear that!" she said. "of all your accomplishments, that has to be the greatest! Even I was confused when they told me about it. Of course, it's never been a factor to me. No man has ever said no, until you. I guess that means you're the first man I've ever raped. I should feel bad about that. I'm afraid I don't."
"I thought you said you were sorry," I responded.
"I am," she replied. "deeply sorry. That I misjudged you. I'm a succubus. Don't get me wrong, I've learned from you. I'll never rape another man again. That doesn't mean I'm capable of feeling guilty over doing it to you. I enjoyed it. And it seems you did as well."
"I did and I didn't. It felt amazing, but it was… tough on me, emotionally. I really did not like you and it was testing my fortitude. In that way, it was almost like torture."
"It was intended to be," she said. "I'll tell you what. Maybe we can both do something for each other. But only if you want to! If Alice decides she doesn't want to marry you or claim you, come visit me. I've never truly made love to a man before. Oh, I've fucked more men silly than I can count! I've played with others, teased many more. I've enjoyed more perverted experiments than even most succubi can envision. But I've never just… lovingly given myself to a man. That gentle lovemaking that couples who are truly in love do. I've always wanted to do that. I've just never found a man deserving. I'd love to do that for you. That is, if you don't still hate me."
This was the kind of apology that seemed so wrong, yet so appropriate for a succubus. I decided to take it in the spirit it was offered.
"Alma Elma," I said. "if Alice does shoot me down, your room is the first place I'm going to go. You can make love to me while I cry."
"Awww….." she said, placing her hands on her heart. "I really like you, Luka. I'm glad we're allies now. I hope in time we can become friends. And speaking sincerely… I hope you never take me up on my offer. I want you and Alice to be happy together forever."
Wow. I was glad I'd taken Granberia's advice. Most of all, I was glad I'd had the courage to talk to the Knights and clear the air. I knew I would sleep well. My apprehensions about tomorrow were replaced by a bliss. I felt that I could die tomorrow and my life would have been well lived.
I got back to my room and was mildly surprised to find that Alice wasn't there. It was getting late. I decided to go check on her. I found her in her throne room.
"Ah, Luka!" she greeted me. "I'm very busy right now. I'm stuck writing letters to everyone about the battle coming up I'm going to come to your room as soon as I'm done."
Somehow, that made me unhappy. Why did it make me unhappy? I thought about it as I walked back to my room. I removed my clothes and crawled into bed. That's when it hit me. I was unhappy because this might be our last night together and she was probably going to come in, feed, and leave. The last thing I wanted to end my probable last night among the living was empty sex, after all the satisfying, emotionally fulfilling encounters I'd had with the Heavenly Knights. Without knowing it, they'd given me exactly what I'd needed to face what was to come. Alice risked ruining all that, reminding me that although she had feelings for me, I wasn't completely clear on what those feelings were. If anything, the sex was getting in the way. Sure, I enjoyed it, very much, but tonight I just did not want it or need it. And yet, how could I refuse her on the night before she might die? That was a cruelty I could not inflict on her. She would be saddened, and that might distract her when we needed to fight side by side one last time. I would have to endure it for her sake.
As I lay there, thinking, I started to get other ideas. I began to experiment ever so softly with my power. In theory, it could do anything I could imagine. What if? I played around, using only the tiniest amount. Yes, it just might work, I thought.
Alice knocked once and then opened the door. I got out of the bed to meet her. Before she could wrap me in her tail, I picked her up and carried her over to the bed. She was surprised, but pleased. As I held her, I analyzed her magic. Her innate sexual magic was what I was looking for. Even the most powerful monsters had almost no control over it. It was time to change that. I molded a small amount of my power to match the signature of her magic. I laid her onto the bed and ran my fingers down her arm. Her eyes widened.
"Luka!" she gasped. "What is that? What are you doing? Wait, are you duplicating my monster magic?"
"Trying to," I said, caressing her breast. "Is it working?"
Her eyes rolled back and her mouth slackened. When she found her words again, she said, "I never imagined! I take everything back that I said about you being weak that way! This feels…. Incredible! Is this what you feel when I touch you?"
"I don't know, but I think so. Your skills would feel incredible even without this magic, but the magic just sends it to another level."
My own skills were…. Probably not great. I felt clumsy. I'd basically just laid there most of the time. I was sure I wasn't doing it right. The magic and the fact that she had never experienced it herself apparently made me the greatest lover of all time. I realized then that maybe this shouldn't have worked. Weren't monsters immune to each other's sexual magic? Maybe the nature of my power meant that it worked simply because I wished it to.
Feeling emboldened, I moved down to her vagina. It was already soaking wet. I briefly thought of making fun of her as she had made fun of my almost instant hardness whenever she uncovered my penis, but decided to just please her. I began licking her. She gasped and squirmed. "This is.. incredible!" she moaned. "Does it actually feel this good when I lick you?"
"Probably way better," I said. "You actually have skills. I just have this magic."
"How are you not dead?" she gasped, then stopped talking as I got more aggressive with my licking. I brought her to orgasm in two minutes. The whole castle must have heard her screams of delight. I hoped no one would rush into the room, thinking I was killing her.
"Luka, please put it in! I want to feel it with the magic! Do it now!"
For the next hour, I made love to her. It was nothing like the empty, recreational sex we'd had before. This was pure passion. For the first time, I felt fulfilled doing it with her. Also for the first time, she fell asleep with me and we spent the night, sleeping in each others' arms.