The coliseum in Grand Noah was packed. It was the greatest and worst day of my life. It was a triumph, a symbol of how much the world had changed in just a generation, and yet a reminder of the lingering barbarities that were still a part of this world. It was the first ever public succession battle. Not only was the stadium sold out, but millions of monsters and humans alike would be watching it live on television and over the internet.
"Dad, I'm fine!" Little Alice said grumpily, tired of being doted on by her still young father, constantly trying to adjust her battle gear, making sure that all of his daughter's vitals were well protected.
"You remember all your new spells?" Fred asked her. "Remember to be patient! Don't use them until she provides you an opening! She's smart, Alice. None of your spells will work twice."
"We've been over this before, Daddy," Little Alice said gently. "I know you're worried, and I love you for that. But you taught me well."
"Don't I get any credit?" Alice asked, slightly annoyed. Although the relationship between her and the father of Little Alice was cordial, even loving at times, there was an air of competitiveness for their daughter's affections as well. A battle the father had won hands down. Alice had always been the boring parent, the one who always said no. Fred had been the permissive one. I hadn't helped much either, incessantly and without any remorse, spoiling the little lamia who was no longer so little.
"Mom, I wouldn't be here today if not for you," Little Alice said, rising and hugging her mother.
That was a fact. Alice, eager to retire to a quiet place in Hellgondo with me, had prepared Little Alice for the throne from a young age. I'd been worried that Alice was pushing so hard that her daughter would resent the very idea of being monster lord. There were so many distractions, so many other things to do in the new world, and Little Alice had a giant brain and varied interests. She was good at magic, good at fighting, good at technology, and even a pretty fair philosopher. She had been the first Monster Lord prospect to attend public schools and had been a straight-A student. That was another battle Alice had lost. Alice had wanted her tutored by Gabriella and Tamamo. Which she was, in those things only a future Monster Lord would need to know. But for her general education, Fred and I had thought it best that Little Alice be around humans and monsters who had integrated into human society.
But despite her mother pushing so hard and her natural rebelliousness, Little Alice had always regarded getting to her mother's throne as her goal in life. She took pride in the Fateburns' history of having an unbroken string of Monster Lords. As Alice's only heir, she was not about to see that string broken. I was still worried though, just as Fred was. She was only sixteen. Was she really ready for this?
"Alice, nobody ever dies in these contests, do they?" Fred asked apprehensively, seeking comfort from the mother of his only child.
"Oh, no, never," Alice answered, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
"Monsters are tough, Fred," I said, trying to be reassuring. "They don't fight to the death very often. I can't promise that the battle will be easy to watch. She could very well be hurt. But she's an echidna. She'll heal fast. And she knows when to quit, right, Little Alice?"
"Luka, when are you going to stop calling me that?" Little Alice asked, rolling her eyes. "Of all days, can't I just be Alice today?"
"You'll always be Little Alice to me," I chuckled.
"Only Monster Lords get to be called Alice," Alice reminded her. "If you lose, you'll need to choose a new name, and you'll get a job at an accounting firm somewhere."
"What a horrible fate!" Little Alice replied in mock terror. "I can't lose!"
"In all seriousness, please know when you're beaten if it comes to that," I urged. "I know that your family's history creates a lot of pressure, but we love you even if you don't win. It would kill us if you died out there because you didn't know when to quit."
"He's right, baby," Alice agreed. "I know I've put a lot of pressure on you for a lot of years, but if you lose, there's no dishonor if you gave it your best. All of my opponents conceded rather than die. It didn't harm their reputations a bit. I won't think any less of you if you fall short tonight."
"Exactly," I reminded her. "Even Granberia knew when to give up."
"Thank you all," Little Alice said gratefully. "But I intend to win. At least I only have one opponent. I just wish we had a better idea of what to expect from her."
"I'm afraid we haven't seen or heard much of her in the past sixty years," Alice said. "She's older, more experienced, and she's motivated. But I still don't know how strong she is. Luka, would you please go talk to her?"
"What, me?" I asked. "Why?"
"Because she respects you and doesn't have a grudge against you like she does with me," Alice pointed out.
"What am I doing? Scouting her? Wouldn't that be unfair?"
"No, you're not scouting her, idiot!" Alice snapped. "You're ascertaining where her mind is at. And maybe talking her down if she's treating this as more than just a succession battle. I'm also concerned about who is backing her candidacy. I want to know if she's doing this for their reasons, or for her own."
"All right, I'll do it. I've been wanting to meet with her for a long time anyway, since… that happened."
I went to leave, to seek out the opposing locker room. Little Alice hugged me fiercely before I left.
"Thank you, Luka," Little Alice said. "for everything. Especially convincing mom and dad to let me do this now. I want to make you all proud. But especially you, Luka. You've been like a second father to me."
Man, did I love that little lamia! Again, she wasn't little anymore. She was actually larger than her mother and never let her mother forget it. Alice was about fifteen feet long. "Little" Alice had grown to an impressive eighteen feet, although she had inherited her mother's slight form. Our feelings towards each other were mutual. From the moment she was born, I'd treated her as if she was my daughter. Alice had wanted Fred to be quickly hustled back to Luka Village, to be visited only on a holiday or special occasion, but I had insisted that Little Alice needed her father in her life. She was going to be the first Monster Lord to preside over a world where humans and monsters got along almost worldwide. That required a different upbringing. Which brought me to her opponent, a woman who had continued to separate herself from human society, seeing them only as food.
I tapped on the door of the locker room and peeked in. Several women in upper class, old style outfits were surrounding Little Alice's opponent. I knew that each and every one was a carnivorous monster. And I was a tasty tidbit. I remembered to feel for my power, just in case. These monsters had never fully accepted the new ways.
"Luka!" Emily exclaimed, getting up from the bench she was sitting on. "I'm surprised to see you here! To what do I owe this honor?"
"I see you don't speak in the third person anymore," I said jovially, shaking her hand.
"If you'd visited me sometime in the last sixty years, you would know that," she said curtly.
"Emily…. I'm sorry. You never asked me to visit. I assumed you didn't want me around due to me being married to Alice."
"You mean the one who killed my mother, that Alice?" Emily asked bitterly.
"Is that why you're doing this?"
"Absolutely," Emily retorted. "Honestly, I understand why things happened as they did. My mother…. She was a hard woman. A remorseless killer. There was no love in her heart. She probably would have eaten me if I'd disappointed her. But she was still my mother. I can't help how I feel. I obeyed the Monster Lord's directives. And to be honest, it really worked out for us. Men come from all over to visit Lady's Village. But there's still a lot of resentment out there."
"Yes, some very bad monsters are backing you," I pointed out.
"They need this outlet for their rage as much as I do," Emily said. "You've been around us monsters long enough to know our culture. I was hurt by your wife. I need to have closure. If I win today, then I break the Fateburn line. I put a dagger in Alice's heart that would be more painful than if I were to do it literally. If I lose, then I will also be satisfied. We monsters take defeat well. Defeat means we were wrong, that our ways were not worthy. Yes, I represent all of the monsters who are opposed to coexistence with humans, even though I have come to support that coexistence. My win will be their win. My loss will be their loss. And they will accept coexistence, once and for all, if I lose."
That gave me flashbacks to Alice wanting me to kill her oh so long ago. Was Emily intending to throw this fight for the sake of coexistence? No, I thought. Monsters don't throw fights. Even if Emily doesn't want to win, she'll give everything she has. If she was seen to have not given her best, the monsters opposed to coexistence would not accept the result.
"Emily, if you do win," I started. "What will you do as Monster Lord?"
"If you're worried about me upsetting your new world, you have nothing to worry about," Emily replied. "I liked preying on men once. Sometimes I wish I still could. A lot of the women in Ladies Village feel the same way. But we also get all the semen we can eat. Some of the ladies have even fallen in love, and married. Except for Hellgondo, monsters and humans are too integrated to sunder those bonds now."
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Emily, I really am."
"Well, I do like you, Luka, even if I can't stand to be around your wife. Win or lose, I hope you'll visit me from time to time. I cant forget how you tried to comfort me after she killed my mother. How you promised to protect me. We monsters don't forget our debts. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm getting some last minute advice from my coaches."
I bade Emily and the ladies goodbye, then headed to my seats. Seated in the section, the best seats in the house, were Nero, Neris, Olivia, and two relatively new monarchs: King Phillip of Sabasa, crowned just two years before, and Queen Lenora, who had succeeded the previous Queen of Grand Noah a mere six years ago.
"Exciting, isn't it?" King Phillip asked me. "The first ever succession battle that will ever be witnessed by humans. Should be quite a good show!"
"There's got to be a better way to do this," Neris argued. "Mom explained to me long ago why it was done this way, but couldn't we… I dunno, vote or something?"
"I agree wholeheartedly," Queen Lenora said. "Like my mother, I've long wanted to end these barbaric competitions. At least there shouldn't be any rape in this one."
That started a wide ranging debate among everyone seated in the royal section. I was barely listening. This wasn't a sporting event for me. Someone I loved, who I had held in my arms as a baby, was facing danger today. There was a small chance she could be killed. A greater chance that she could be injured. A still greater chance that she could be humiliated, being the first one in her family to fail to win a succession battle, but in front of a huge television audience. The stakes were even higher than that. While Alice had insisted that she'd still be proud of Little Alice if she lost, I knew that it would eat at her. Eventually Alice would get to blaming me and Fred for making her soft. Even I was a little worried. I had no doubt about Little Alice's skills. She was taught swordsmanship by Granberia. She was taught magic by Tamamo and Gabriella. I also knew that Alma Elma had thrown in a few tidbits of advice on how to successfully perform pleasure attacks on monster opponents, although I didn't want to think about that and I certainly didn't want to watch it happen. I began to regret letting her do this at only sixteen.
The debate among my sectionmates abruptly halted as Emily made her entrance. I didn't like the grim look on Emily's face. She was all business. The crowd booed lustily. I hadn't expected that, although I should have. The crowd was all humans and monsters who had lived among humans for most of their lives. Although Emily had assured me that she was for coexistence, everyone knew that the monsters who weren't were rooting hard for her. They wanted the Fateburn line removed from the throne, even if Emily wasn't their perfect candidate due to her heretical views on coexistence.. Frills had been added to the event since it was being broadcast worldwide. It was even being broadcast on Earth, although with a tape delay. Since time worked differently between the worlds, proper live broadcasts were impossible. The film would appear to move at fast forward since time moved faster here compared to Earth. Although over sixty years had passed since I'd left Earth, it was only the year 2038 back home. The Simpsons hadn't even ended yet. Those frills included entrance music. Emily came out to a classical dirge of doom. Had she chosen that, or had that been given to her, as the "bad guy" of this contest?
The announcer spent a minute or two introducing Emily in the best impression of Michael Buffer that he could muster. Then a different music hit, with a techno beat. Pyro went off. Lights flashed everywhere. Cell phones came out to snap pictures. Little Alice came out of the entranceway to a massive roar of approval from the crowd. I was immediately worried. Her face was not all business. She was all smiles, dancing to the beat of her entrance music, waving to the crowd. She was enjoying this thoroughly. I hoped that inside she was focused. I understood the necessity of getting a crowd hyped up. Sometimes a fighter could feed off of the crowd's energy.
"The winner shall attain the title of Monster Lord and the name, Alipheese the Seventeenth! Are… you…. Ready?!"
The crowd roared. Of course they were. This was a bigger event than the annual Grand Noah tournament.
"Are…. YOU…. READY?!!!"
The crowd assured the Michael Buffer impersonator that they were still quite ready.
"THEN LET'S GET READY TO RAAAAPPPPPEEEE!!!!"
Hoo boy. The Queen of Grand Noah rolled her eyes in disgust. That phrase wasn't even appropriate for this kind of contest. At least, I hoped not. You never knew with monsters what direction the combat might take.
Alice and Fred hurriedly took their seats next to me, Alice grabbing my hand tightly and Fred grabbing my other hand tightly.
"Please tell me again that this was a good idea," Fred begged me, practically shaking.
"She's prepared," I assured him. "Sitting here now, I wish we'd waited a few more years. But she wouldn't be any more ready then than she is now. She's a prodigy, Fred. Be proud, no matter what happens."
The arena floor cleared and the two claimants to the Monster Lord's throne faced off. Emily brandished numerous tentacles at Little Alice. Little Alice had her rapier drawn, her tail whipping about, ready to lash out painfully if Emily tried to grab Alice. Emily had all the advantages in a grappling contest. She could dissolve flesh. If she succeeded in binding Little Alice, my little treasure would have to concede. But Little Alice knew that. She'd sparred endlessly with Erubetie for that very reason. I had to be confident. Little Alice knew what she was doing. She was prepared. Emily's tentacles lashed out. Little Alice lunged in with her sword, shouting an offensive spell at the same time.
"I can't watch!" Fred cried, burying his face in my shoulder. The crowd gasped, then roared.
"It's already over, Fred," I said. "Congratulations. You're the father of the Monster Lord."
Fred hugged me tight, then got up and hugged Alice even tighter. Alice returned his embrace without her usual reluctance. The fight had lasted less than a minute. They were the two proudest parents in the world at that moment. I felt not a pang of jealousy for them, only happiness. But especially for my little treasure.
Sara and I materialized right in the middle of Luddite Village, to a scene out of a horror movie. Desiccated bodies were everywhere. I'd never seen the aftermath of a succubus killing a man, but I knew from books what the end result looked like. It was a gruesome way to die, albeit a very pleasurable way. But we were already too late.
"H-How horrible!" Sara cried. "Why would succubi be interested in Luddite Village?"
"Horrible?" an unbelievably beautiful, and also scandalously proportioned succubus replied. "Everybody ascended while tasting the finest of pleasures."
"You're late, hero!" Morrigan yelled from a further distance away. "We turned this village into dried fish in a matter of minutes!"
"You won't get away with this!" Sara cried, brandishing her sword. "Prepare yourselves!"
"Oh, hello there, Queen Sara," the large breasted one said. "Did you enjoy your life as a succubus? You were supposed to suck all the citizens dry. So disappointing that you didn't kill anyone."
"Why? Why would you want me to do that!?"
"In the original history," Morrigan explained. "There was the possibility that you doing that could happen. By retracing it, we can minimize the influence of chaos."
A third succubus appeared. This one was completely nude(not abnormal for a succubus, but the other two had been wearing some clothing), with red hair.
"You're talking too much, Morrigan," the new succubus said. "I'll speak with the hero. You know, you've deviated from history quite a bit. Even if I ended you here, it probably wouldn't make the chaos worse."
"What are you even talking about?" I asked. "Why did you do this? And which one are you? Lilith? Astaroth?"
"I am Astaroth, and we want to save the world, of course!" Astaroth replied. "I guess it's the same thing you're trying to do, right?"
"How the hell does killing everyone in this village save anything?!" Sara demanded to know.
"This village should never have existed. We corrected history by eliminating it."
"There are a lot of towns and villages that didn't exist back where I came from," I pointed out.
"Quite true," the succubus replied. "We have our work cut out for us, don't we? You'll see the necessity in time and join forces with us."
"Never. Not this way. Life is valuable. Even yours."
"Is that why you're powering up, hero?"
I realized that I was powering up or more accurately, my power was threatening to release if I dropped my control for a second. The scene of death and their insouciance about the lives of those they had murdered had caused it to surge within me, demanding their lives as retribution for their crimes.
"I can control it," I said. "The only reason you're not dead right now is because I don't understand enough about what's going on to risk taking you out just yet."
"Well, we'll see. Your counterpart was inexperienced, so would have been easy prey for me had I chosen to kill him. You aren't easy prey, but unlike that Luka, you're quite the pervert. I'm sure I can tempt you once your self-righteous anger has cooled. Don't you want to taste the finest of pleasures as well?"
"Not from you."
"Then I guess it's goodbye for now," Astaroth replied, still smiling as if she'd just spent a lovely day walking in the park. "Lilith, Morrigan, I think we're finished here!"
They teleported out, but not before Morrigan stared at me and lewdly licked her lips. Sara morosely surveyed the scene. Not just the men, but the women and children had also been drained to death.
"We couldn't save anyone," Sara sobbed. "Those three killed everyone in the village in minutes. How do we fight such beings?"
"Fighting them isn't the problem," I said. "I can handle that part. It's them claiming they are trying to save the world that got to me. I get that this village didn't exist in the true history, but these people surely did. Most of them, anyway. So what do they think was gained here?"
"True history? I don't understand."
"I'll explain when we get you back. We need to look around. There might be survivors."
"I hope so, but those succubi were pretty thorough," Sara said glumly.
We looked around the small village, entering houses, trying to find out if there was any chance that someone had successfully hidden. Some had tried. We found more desiccated bodies in closets and under beds. Probably Morrigan's work, since she could kill people with pleasure without even touching them. There had been no Micaela to teleport people out of the village this time. I consoled myself that at least none had died screaming in pain. Renael had been far less merciful towards Ilias Village.
"Sara, have you seen those three before? They sure knew about your… transition," I asked her once we'd verified that there were no survivors.
"Yes," she replied. "My blood was awakened by them. My memory of exactly what happened is fuzzy, but I do recall that they came to me seeking an audience, and the next day I… transformed and was overcome by lust."
"So what will you do now?" I asked.
"The only thing I can do. I'm going to abdicate the throne, explain my actions to the people, and accompany you on your journey."
"Are you sure about that, Sara?" I asked. "In the correct history. I believe Sabasa became a democracy. But is it ready for that right now, on such short notice? Are the institutions in place?"
"I believe they are. We've always had a parliament. I'll just hand over all power to them. It should go smoothly. I hope. In any case, Sabasa's domestic problems pale beside the threat to the world, however poorly I understand it. I assume you know what's going on?"
"I have only a little more information than you. But if you're coming with me, there will be ample time to explain what I do know, and then after that I guess we learn more together."
"Sounds like a plan," Sara said grimly. "Well, not really a plan, but the outline of a plan. Barely."
I brought Sara back to Sabasa, where she explained everything to her aides. She would meet with Parliament the next day to announce her abdication and brief them on the reasons for it. She would have preferred to address the people directly, but that would have taken even more time and Sara was eager to get started on her new quest. That didn't surprise me. Sara had an adventurous spirit. I found myself glad that she was coming. It was almost like a second chance to do the things with her that I should have done in our first lifetime.
While Sara was taking care of business in Sabasa, I briefed my own team on what had occurred. Ilias was shocked and heartbroken over the news. In her own way, she truly did care about the welfare of her people, at least if monsters were the ones abusing them. Alice was equally appalled, fearing the effect on monster/human relations of such a massacre. Sonya simply wept when she heard that they hadn't even spared the children. Work with those three? Never. Then I reminded myself that I was standing in front of Ilias, who had done far worse.
I could barely sleep that night. All I could do was think about all the death. I had worked hard to create a better world, so that what happened in Remina and later Ilias Village would never happen again. It was as if I was starting from scratch. It just wasn't fair.
Morning always brings a new day, however, and while I can't say that I woke up in a good mood, I had found my determination and purpose once again. I was eager to get Gnome and explore the next Tartarus Rift. Sara had other plans for us, however.
"Just before I left," Sara said to our core group in the meeting room. "I was informed that civil war has broken out in Magistea Village. I know I'm not the queen anymore, but those are still my people. I have to go and see if I can stop the fighting. I understand if you all have more important things to do."
"That depends," I replied. "Where is Magistea Village? We were headed to Grandeur next."
"Grandeur is on the way to Magistea Village. So I can at least accompany you that far."
"Sara, I didn't expect you to come with us, but now that you are with us, I'm not letting you out of my sight. Okay, I don't mean that literally, but I'm not letting you do a solo mission. If this is important to you, it's important to me. I'll help any way I can."
"What exactly is going on in Magistea?" Ilias asked.
"It's some kind of dispute over the use of magic," Sara explained. "Powerful magic, apparently. Sabasan soldiers couldn't keep order because they are overmatched. Both sides have monsters and that magic to call upon."
"If sinful magic is being used, I can't ignore it," Ilias said. "I'm definitely going to get involved in this one."
"Excuse me, but are you actually the goddess?" Sara asked. "Forgive me, but it's very hard to believe."
"I'm as much a goddess as you are a succubus."
"Just to be clear, that is NOT my final form."
"She is the goddess," Alice confirmed. "And I am the Monster Lord. We've just been… diminished."
"So can you teleport me to Magistea, Luka?" Sara asked.
"I'm afraid not," I answered. "I can only teleport where I've recently been. My power isn't like anything on this world, it follows different rules. I have to have a clear image in my mind of where I want to go. Since I haven't been to Magistea Village, I'm afraid we have to walk."
Sara sighed. "I'm not happy to hear that, but perhaps it's for the best," she said. "I'll spend the time training. Does this castle have a gym, Monster Lord?"
"It has several," Alice replied. "If you want to practice on equipment, use the north gym. If you want real opponents to spar with, the monsters seem fond of the west gym. Any of the automated maids can guide you to either one. I'd also advise you to ask for royal quarters. I know you're probably used to luxury, and while none of our rooms are of poor quality, some are better than others."
"From one monarch to another, I thank you, Monster Lord," Sara said graciously.
The day was spent in travel to Grandeur. We were still in the desert, so the traveling was hot and unpleasant. Again, I did it mostly with Alice. There were a couple of monsters who accosted us. I was not in the mood. A blast of power would always send them scurrying away. Why hadn't I thought of doing that before? Probably because I didn't like being intimidating. I preferred to talk things out, because most of these monster girls were not really bad people. Perhaps tomorrow I'd be back to my old, more gentle self. Alice seemed concerned by me, barely speaking to me except to occasionally say a calming word. We did talk a bit about the three sisters. It was as much a mystery to her as it was to me what they were trying to accomplish. And what were Nero and Neris' role in all this? And the White Rabbit? Why were angels from another world also here? If their purposes were all the same, they were not making things better. There were too many cooks in this particular kitchen. Alice liked that metaphor.
We went back into the castle for the night on the outskirts of Grandeur. In the morning, we'd check out the reports of a succubus entertaining people too much, which seemed like a rather dumb problem to solve. Still, I knew enough to know what I didn't know, and if Alice and Ilias both agreed it was a situation, then it must be a situation.
Although I was dog tired from the previous night's poor sleep and the day's travels, I decided to wander the castle. I'd given the brush off to several monsters the night before. Of course on a night that I didn't want to be touched at all, monsters were lurking around every corner wanting a piece of me. When I was horny it seemed like they'd all just eaten! Ah, but I was making it about me again. I needed to go around and explain myself to my friends. Few of them knew what had happened that day in Luddite Village.
First were the imps. Remi squealed when she saw me and hid behind Rami. I apologized for being mean the previous night(even though I had only really been curt, not mean), and told them that I was available if they needed me. The imps declined, having already eaten, so I gave them candy instead, which seemed to make them happy.
Next I visited the bar, which still had only two occupants at night: Barbun and Mary. Mary was looking more sober than usual. Barbun must have been weaning her off, since Barbun had established herself as the bartender. After a brief conversation I learned that Eva often came to the bar after dinner. Eva had actually tried to talk Mary into smoking out front with her, but Mary wasn't carrying any smokes and neither was Eva, who had apparently just wanted to bum some off of Mary. Since Mary was making an honest effort to kick the babit, that probably meant that Eva would have to continue to abstain as well.
"Hey, before you go, Luka, I've got a treat for you," Barbun said, pulling out a bottle and pouring it into a glass for me. She pulled out another one and added it to the first.
"Hey, Luka's gonna drink with us for once?" Mary asked hopefully.
"Don't get your hopes up, Mary, this is just soda."
"Soda?" I asked. "Barbun, you knew just what I needed. Where did you find this?"
"In Sabasa," Barbun replied. "What, do you think we monsters just stay in the castle and never venture out? We weren't about to miss a chance to explore a big city like that. Turns out that Sabasa specializes in caffeinated drinks. I added some sodas, some coffees, and some teas to my offerings here."
Barbun handed me the glass. To my surprise, it was cold. "Magic?" I asked, knowing the castle had no electricity.
"Beats me," Barbun shrugged. "All I know is that the fridge works. You can come here and get a cold soda anytime you want."
"Thank you so much, Barbun," I said, tasting the delicious cola. "Oh, wow that hits the spot! By the way, are either of you hungry? I know I kinda gave you two the cold shoulder last night."
"We know you're under a lot of stress, Luka," Barbun answered. "We don't hold it against you. We got our semen last night. If you look around the castle enough, you might notice that we've got more guests. More men, more monsters. As I said, we don't just stay here all night. Sometimes we like to party, and you know how parties get. Sometimes you bring home new friends who don't leave."
"Monsters?" I asked. "Anyone who can help us?"
"I'm not sure," Barbun answered. "Depends on what the mission is. I know I haven't been as useful as I wanted to be. I haven't been on a mission in awhile."
"Even if you never come on another mission, you're a lifesaver," I assured her. "We've got monsters helping in the kitchen and you providing refreshments. An army marches on its stomach, Barbun. You're making us more effective just by doing what you're doing. Not that we won't want your combat skills soon enough."
"I'm ready whenever you need me, boss!"
Even though I hadn't run into Cindy or Meia, I went to the beach room to check in. I hadn't spoken to them in what seemed like ages. Meia was the only person in sight, however.
"Hello, Luka," she greeted me. "Have you come for a blowjob?"
"Er…. No," I said, still not used to such directness after all these years. "Unless you're hungry, of course."
"Oh, Luka, I would never use you for mere feeding. I like you too much. Feeding is so…. Quick and dirty. I want to make it last. I want you to feel every part of my-"
"I will definitely take you up on that at some point," I said, effectively satisfying her. Monsters that wanted to repay or reward you only needed assurance that they would get the opportunity. "So where is Cindy?"
"Oh, she and the others are in the water. Did you need a wash?"
"No, I just showered, actually. Long day in the desert, couldn't wait to get clean. Maybe I should have come here first."
"You definitely should have!" Cindy said gleefully, emerging from the water with a small crab girl and the sea cucumber girl I'd um…. Been inside the last time I was in the beach room. "You're still pretty stinky. Do you even know how to clean yourself properly? Men, amiright?"
"You're right," the other crab girl said. "we should wash him together!"
"He is quite clean," Meia countered. "Everyone is stinky to you crab girls. I just think it's an excuse to wash people."
"What's your name?" I asked the smaller crab girl. "You look a bit young."
"She's fifty years old!" Cindy chuckled. "Her name is Amy. Crab girls take a long time to fully grow."
It occurred to me that I'd never asked Cindy's age before. That meant that she must have been over a century old when I'd first met her.
"We stand ready to wash anyone we have to, in order to save the world!" Amy said enthusiastically, saluting me.
"She's not a warrior like me," Cindy said. "I don't think she'll go out on any missions. But the men who are staying here get awfully dirty and she's an expert washer."
"That's wonderful, Amy!" I said. "The showers here are cold. I imagine that almost anyone would prefer one of your washes to that."
"I stand ready to clean clean clean, anytime, boss!" Amy exclaimed. "All you have to do is come out onto the beach!"
The next stop was the west gym, which I hadn't seen before. But I was curious about it since Alice had said the monsters were gathering there to practice. Sure enough, I found Juska sparring with Nanabi. Seeing Juska in action was amazing, with her flitting about in the air, dodging tails and striking Nanabi with her fists of justice. I could tell that both were holding back, which was impressive. It meant that Juska could probably hurt Nanabi, which was very unusual for a human. Nanabi was getting her shots in as well, however, but Juska seemed mostly unfazed by her tails. Nanabi was holding back as well, of course.
In another small room I found Sara and Sonya working out together. I tried not to stare at their tight outfits. I was used to their battle gear, which was a lot less revealing. Noticing me, the two ladies stopped their workout to speak with me.
"Luka, I'm so glad you're here!" Sara greeted me. "Tough walk today?"
"Oh yeah," I said. "But at least I get to stay in a cool castle at night. The first time I hiked Sabasa, we were out in the desert all night. I didn't shower for two weeks!"
"Was that in your other life?" Sara asked.
"I told her everything I knew," Sonya said. "I hope that's okay."
"I'm actually grateful," I assured Sonya. "It gets tiresome explaining the same things over and over every time we get someone new to join us."
"Well, I'll leave you two alone," Sonya said. "What I knew wasn't much. I'm sure there's more you'll want to tell her. I'll see you in Grandeur tomorrow, Sara!"
"I look forward to it!" Sara replied.
Sonya left the room, presumably to clean up and go to bed. Sara stood there with me awkwardly.
"Luka, what was our relationship in that other world?" she asked once the silence became unbearable.
"That's a tough one," I replied. "We were close, but not close, if that makes sense."
"Not in the slightest. Were we close, or weren't we close?"
"We…. Went through a thing together. A quest. It was short, but stuff happened and that shared experience created a bond between us. But our responsibilities were different. You had to stay in Sabasa and I had to continue my quest. We saw each other quite a few more times over the years."
"What kind of a bond? Was I human, or a monster at that point?"
"It's… complicated. Your monster blood never fully came out in that other world. Instead, it half came out, which enabled you to control the urges and so much more. You could actually become anything you wanted to be. You were a shapeshifter. But that was after our quest together."
"A shapeshifter?" Sara asked in surprise. "I wonder if I'm capable of that now. I don't feel complete in my succubus form. It feels like there's… more."
"As you said, it's not your final form. I'm sure the power is latent within you."
"So I guess since I wasn't a monster, nothing really happened between us."
"I…. wouldn't say that," I replied uncomfortably.
"Oh really?" Sara asked, cocking an eyebrow. "C'mon, tell me, what happened between us?"
She said it in a teasing tone, that tone that I loved so much from her, such as when she'd gotten me to spill the beans on my latest fetish.
"I'm uncomfortable talking about it," I said, flushing beet red. "Not because I didn't enjoy it immensely, but…."
"You don't like talking about sex, I get it," she laughed, playfully punching me in the arm. "Well, you don't have to talk about it, but now that I'm a full fledged monster, I need to be fed. Just not every second as I was before. So if you ever want to relive history…."
"Um…. I'm sure that will happen, probably several times. Don't succubi need to eat every day?"
"They do, but apparently I don't have to. At least I hope not. It's been a full day and I don't feel the cravings yet. If I do, you'll be the first to know. Speaking of history, what's with this true history? Sonya tried to explain it, but I get the impression she didn't understand it very well."
"Neither do I," I admitted. "I don't think they're talking about my history. From what I understand, my history was similar to this 'true' history, but not in every way. I just know that the closer we get to reenacting this true history, the better off we'll be."
"And the departures from the true history are what are causing this chaos? All those rifts?"
"Probably."
"But if we don't know the true history, how are we supposed to reenact it?" Sara asked. "Just go by what you remember and hope it's close enough?"
"Supposedly the white rabbit is here to guide Alice. Apparently, it's also best if we're as ignorant as possible, so Alice has stopped asking me for information except for immediate problems."
"Sonya told me about the white rabbit. Very odd. Well, from what I understand, you're the boss and you know more about what's going on than any of us do. So use me as you see fit. I can fight, I know some magic, and as a succubus I can inflict strong pleasure attacks against your enemies. But most importantly, I have diplomatic skills and everyone who matters knows me. I might be able to get you things no one else can."
"That's what I was counting on. Starting with helping me out with Grandeur. I'm not sure why a succubus on a stage is such a huge deal, but it is your kingdom, so I assume you're interested in the situation there."
"Definitely," Sara confirmed. "As for the succubus problem, it depends. On her power level and how much talent she's bringing to the Grandeur Theater. Most succubi don't have talents other than draining men. She sounds like she has other interests. If she's actually good at those other interests, it could be a problem."
"I'll take your word for it," I said. "Sara, thank you so much for accompanying us. Your help will be extremely valuable. I missed working with you."
"Well, you'll be seeing a lot of me," she said. "I'm going to hit the showers and then go to bed. Looks like my first official mission as part of the Alliance of Justice is tomorrow!"
"We're not calling it that," I said.
"Oh? But Juska told me-"
"I'll… have a talk with her."
Exiting the room and heading back where I had come from, I saw that Juska and Nanabi were done sparring. Juska was in her costume, and as she had warned, it got really hot. She was absolutely drenched in sweat, as if she'd been walking all day in the desert as I had. Nanabi, on the other hand, hadn't perspired at all. Then I remembered that Nanabi didn't sweat. She was a bestial kitsune, more fox than woman, and so she panted. She was doing so demurely, however, either because she wasn't that hot, or because she didn't want to have her tongue lolling out around human company.
"You have impressive friends, Luka!" Juska said. "Powerful allies in the pursuit of justice!"
"Who won?" I asked.
"I did," Nanabi said smugly.
"Alas, I run out of power too quickly," Juska complained. "I'm nearly unbeatable in a short fight, but if it goes more than a few minutes I start to weaken fast. Justice delayed is justice denied."
"How did you get that power, anyway?" I asked.
"I don't know. One day I was just… strong and I could fly. I'd been wanting to fight for justice, like the heroes in the history books. Monte Carlo is such a corrupt town! And then one day I witnessed a terrible crime taking place and in my anger, power surged through me. I beat up the perpetrator, saved the innocent citizen, and my career as a crusader for justice began!"
"Nanabi," I asked. "Can you read her power?"
"I can, but it's like nothing I've ever seen before," the kitsune replied.
"It it like mine?"
Nanabi squinted. "No, not like yours. It is alien, however. It's neither holy nor dark magic."
"Juska, did you ever get close to a Tartarus Rift?" I asked.
"No, never. Do you think my power comes from another dimension?"
"It's possible. When you get time, could you ask one of the maids to show you to the laboratory? Promestein will probably want to study you. But remember, you don't have to agree to anything you don't want to. Promstein doesn't always practice the best… ethics when she's trying to get answers to a question."
"Understood, General Victory!"
"General Victory? Did you just call me General Victory?"
"She tried to call me the Colossal Kitsune," Nanabi said.
"Okay, so I'm not good at superhero names!" Juska admitted. "I'll keep trying to come up with something."
"I assure you, it's not necessary," Nanabi grumbled.
"Well, I'm about to head to bed," I said. "I was just going around and seeing if anyone was hungry. Nanabi, are you good?"
"I am," Nanabi replied. "But I'm definitely coming for you soon. Be ready. I know we apparently have history and I'd like to hear about it."
"Wow, so even though I haven't fed anyone in two days, everyone's good. Just how many men did we recruit? Can any of them fight?"
"Not in the condition we're keeping them in," Nanabi chuckled. "I think we have seven men now. Still not enough to feed us all. They pass out so quickly. So don't think you're off the hook."
"I actually look forward to spending some time with you, Nanabi," I replied. "I've missed you. And those wonderful tails."
"That sounded like a request. I'll keep it in mind."
"Please do. Well, see you two later."
"Wait, Luka!" Juska said as I turned to leave. "Since you haven't ejaculated in two days, wanna battle fuck?"
"Excuse me? I thought you were a superhero, not a battle…. Um… battler."
"I am a battle fucker!" Juska said proudly. "A Battle Fucker for Jus-"
"Oh, please don't," Nanabi said, cutting her off.
"I'm going to decline, Juska," I said. "I already encountered one of your… um… profession in Iliasburg."
"Did you win?" Juska asked.
"I lost, much to my surprise."
"Well then you need practice!"
"Am I likely to encounter humans who want to have sex with me as a form of combat on our mission?"
"Well… no, not exactly, but as you know many battle fuckers have items that could be of use to you. I also read fantasy novels as well as comics, and in those books there's always a key item to be found by sheer coincidence!"
"Juska, that doesn't happen in real l-" Then I remembered. I'd gotten a few orbs by sheer coincidence on my first journey. Perhaps Juska was right! I needed to challenge every battle fucker I encountered, just in case they had something important! Wait, was I talking myself into something again? Why was I such a pervert?
"So how about it? If the idea makes you uncomfortable, since we're best buds and all that, I can do it without touching you."
"Wait, you can bring me to orgasm without even touching me? With your magic?"
"Oh, this I've got to see," Nanabi said, folding her arms. "Only the most powerful succubi in history have that kind of power. Even Alma Elma can't do that."
"Well, I will be touching you," Juska said. "Just not skin to skin. If you agree, I'll show you!"
"What are the stakes?" I asked.
"If I win, you have to wear a costume which I shall make for you on your next mission!"
Nanabi guffawed.
"And if I win?" I asked.
"Well, you have choices," Juska replied. "I don't have anything of value here with me, and I doubt anything back at my place would be useful. So if you win, you can choose from two prizes. The first prize is that you can do anything you want with me at a later date! I'm actually a virgin. I've never touched a man skin to skin before."
"You're a battle fucker who is a virgin?" Nanabi asked, confused. "You've never even used your hand? How do you do it?"
"All in good time, Kitsune Crusader!"
"No," Nanabi said firmly.
"I'm definitely not taking your virginity, Juska," I said. "What's the second prize?"
"I'll tell you my story," Juska replied. "it's a painful one. To be honest, I'd prefer you to do anything to me but make me tell it. But if you are the victor, you get a prize, and I have to abide by whatever you choose. My word is my bond."
I thought for a moment. I realized that I had already talked myself into letting Juska do whatever it was she wanted to do to me. I was curious about this bringing me to orgasm without actually touching me with her skin thing. Was she going to wear a glove? Did she have a sex toy of some sort? I hoped that she hadn't already seen Promestein and gotten her weird squishy thing that moved on its own. But I didn't want to claim a prize that would hurt or humiliate Juska.
"Okay, here's what we'll do," I said. "If I win, you'll pleasure me with your bare hand next time. How about that?"
"You're a good guy, Luka," Juska said. "I actually don't mind losing my hand virginity to you."
"Please don't say 'hand virginity', ever again," I said.
"Enough of the negotiations!" Juska announced triumphantly. "Battle fuck begins… now!"
Flying at me, she took me down and ripped my pants off with her super strength. Argh! Another pair! I found out right away what she was up to. She squeezed my penis between her legs, using her costume to give me pleasure. That costume was drenched with sweat, which made it feel amazing, and her legs were very strong, making it tight. Holding her legs together, she thrust her hips up and down, as if she was having intercourse with me. Yet another new experience!
"I designed my suit out of a special fabric," Juska said. "When it's wet, it feels almost like skin. Men say that with their eyes closed, they'd never know it wasn't the skin on my thighs doing this to them.When the fabric is dry. It feels super soft and a little rough. If I don't beat you with my suit wet, I'll beat you later with it dry."
She didn't beat me. As wonderful and unique as the feeling was, she failed to make me come in the allotted time. With a pout, she stopped and got off of me. I was tempted to give her something so that she would continue. I wanted to know what it would feel like to explode between those legs as they squeezed me tightly. I didn't think I had anything, however, and I couldn't offer her money. That would have been a grave insult, implying that she was a prostitute.
I didn't have to worry about being left hanging, however. Two tails wrapped around my groin area, one coiling around my dick with that incredibly soft fur, and another gently tickling my balls. Before I was even aware of what was happening, my semen began to shoot out all over Nanabi's tail.
"I couldn't just leave you like that, Luka," Nanabi said, giving me a wicked smile. She licked the semen as best she could off of her tail. "Wow that's good! I know I said I wasn't hungry, but I have to have more!"
"Guh," I replied, still prone on the ground, having never risen after Juska had removed herself from me.
"Well, I don't need to see that, so I'm going to hit the showers," Juska said. "I need to wash this suit as well. I can't very well fight for justice smelling to high heaven! Later, Lightning Luka!"
I wanted to say that I wasn't using that name either, but all that came out was another "Guh."
When Juska left the room, I saw Nanabi's lovely face and body looming over me. "Now that we're alone, I can really show you a good time."
The ends of Nanabi's tails transformed into tentacle suckers. While I wasn't into tentacles, I remembered that each of Nanabi's were unique, with different textures and varying tightness. She hadn't used them on me more than two or three times, but each time had been very memorable and very draining.
"I'd always wanted to see a battle fuck myself," Nanabi told me. "Humans are so adorable, using their inadequate sexual techniques on each other and taking forever to make each other come. Let's do a real battle fuck. If you can endure all seven tentacles without passing out, I'll mate with you whenever you want. I'll bet your Nanabi never did that."
Indeed she had not. Nanabi was quite promiscuous, as most monsters were, but she had never let me into her pussy. Aesthetically, I'd had no interest. Her lower half was all animal. But I'd heard stories about bestial kitsunes. It was another experience that I hadn't had the opportunity to enjoy. I resolved to endure all seven suckers. Fortunately, my Nanabi had declared that ejaculations with the suckers didn't count towards the "three and married" rule. I wasn't sure why, but I had taken her word for it.
The first of the suckers took in my penis and began to work, contracting tightly around me. Nanabi was right. No human could match something that intense. My second orgasm happened ten seconds later. As soon as I was done, an even tighter sucker inhaled me.
I did not win. Not even close.