The soft flipping of pages echoed around the bedroom of the mansion as Raina sat on the bed, her legs crossed as she slowly read the book in her hands with interest,
"Master, you would like me to clean the blood around you?" Oran suddenly popped in, with a small bucket and a towel,
Raina casually glanced down a few metres away from her feet. There laid Argo's dead body, blood rapidly flowing onto the carpet as his now stump of a dick poured out blood like a hyperactive fountain, his severed cock lying beside him, squished with a shoe mark on it.
"No. Leave it," Raina smiled, turning her attention back to the book, "It's my trophy."
"Understood, master," Oran bowed, leaving the room as he closed the door behind him.
A short hum played through the air as Raina began swaying her feet off the side of the bed, her fingers delicately flipping the page as she read.
[All recorded succubus are born within the Demon Realm, absorbing the dark mana of the world, before awakening their powers in a special ritual performed at their Coming-of-age ceremony. By absorbing dark mana into their bodies before their awakening, the newly fledged succubus instinctually gain a better and clearer understanding of how to wield Demonic Magic...]
"Hm, dark mana..." Raina muttered with a slight nod, flipping the page and reading onto another section,
[Succubus and all demons are weak to the Holy element due to their long exposure to dark mana rather than the common mana found in other realms.]
"Other realms?" She stopped reading and frowned, "Mana is found naturally in other realms? What does that mean... maybe...!"
A short gasp of excitement suddenly filled her as the possibility of other worlds with full-on magic popped into her mind.
"How do I go to them...?" She hurriedly flipped through the book, reaching the last page where a single hurriedly written small note was attached,
"Demon Realm Gate. Can't open it yet. I need to find him. Strong." she read with a frown, "Demon Realm Gate...Can't open. Need to find him...Strong...?"
Her eyes widened, "Did she find a way to the demon realm? Who was she looking for...? Dad?"
Instantly jumping to her feet and activating her Succubus Form, she jumped through her shadow and reappeared at the top of the same skyscraper she found Solon a few days back,
"Solon!" She called, looking around,
"Raina?" A familiar voice replied, their figure sitting up from behind a short half-wall, "Did you miss me already?"
"This!" She showed off the last page of the book, "She found a way back?"
"What about it?" Solon yawned with a shrug, "I've already done my own research on that line a few years back, got nothing. Whatever it was, looked like she was searching for someone strong, like your father, or something."
"What about me?" Raina replied, "What if it means strong as in strong bloodline? Like me?"
"Could be," Solon nodded, "But you've only awakened your ability for less than a month. If I were you, I wouldn't try to open that gate until I can at least defend myself from whatever's on the other side." He advised,
"What do you mean," Raina frowned, "Shouldn't they be the same as me? I'm one of them!"
"Not exactly the same," Solon pointed out, "A succubus is a 'type' of demon. I wouldn't say that there'll be many succubus' left in the demon realm considering the gate's been shut for over a thousand years and succubus' require human essence to survive. You might even be the last one left. I wouldn't put my hope on a warm welcome."
"Fuck," Raina frowned, her previous high hopes disintegrating in an instant, "Then what should I do,",
"First, I'd say," Solon gave it a thought, "How about becoming the strongest on this planet before conquering another?"
"Strongest?" Raina repeated, "What do you mean?"
"The world's currently ruled by the survival of the fittest, right? Strongest takes all," Solon smiled, "Who currently has the world?"
"...The Rift..!"
"How about making that your goal," Solon sat up with a grin, "Become strong enough to kill The Rift's leader,"
"I don't know who that is, they never came public..." Raina muttered, rubbing her chin,
"Oh, they'll be a worthy opponent," Solon chuckled, "If you defeat them, I'll say you're ready to try opening that gate,"
"You know who it is?" Raina glanced up in surprise, raising an eyebrow,
"Slightly. I've done a 1v1 with them," Solon chuckled,
"Did you win?"
"Not even close," He let out a soft laugh,
"Not even close? Who were they?" Raina's jaw dropped in surprise,
"That's for you to find out," He shook his head, "But I'll give you a clue. You won't find much beating up lackeys."
"I already thought as much," Raina nodded, raising her arm for a handshake, "I'll accept your challenge then."
"Perfect," Solon smiled as he took her hand, "I hope to see you succeed."
"You bet I will, Virgin Boy. " Raina smirked, immediately disappearing back into the mansion, leaving behind a wordless and eye-rolling Solon on the rooftop, this time with a clear objective on her mission.
"Oran!" She called out from the bedroom, Oran's figure instantly appearing by the doorway,
"Yes, Master?"
"How much do you know about The Rift's Leader?" She turned to him as she sat down on the bed, resting her legs on Argo's corpse,
"The Rift's Leader..." Oran gave it a thought, "Not much at all. All I knew what that they started the organisation three years before the apocalypse, master."
"What about him? Did he know anything else?" Raina stepped on Argo's face, directing Oran's attention to him,
"Argo has never met the Leader either," Oran shook his head before his face lit up, "Oh! Actually, around the start of the apocalypse, he did mention his brother attending a meeting with some of Rift's most high-ranking members. I'm not too sure if the Leader of the Rift was there during the meeting, but you may want to start there,"
"This dude had a brother?" Raina frowned,
"Yes, Master. I believe his name to be Eryx. He's the Territory Lord a few hundred kilometres to the left of here."
"Eryx, huh..." Raina mumbled in thought, "He's a bit far. Who's the Lord to our immediate left?"
"Richard Wilson,"
"Is he ranked quite high in the organisation?"
"A few ranks above Argo, I believe," Oran nodded, "If I remember correctly, he has the power of lightning, which makes him quite a popular for free electricity. I believe our electricity is imported from them,"
"There's a whole economic situation going on here?" Raina raised an eyebrow, "Was it not all 'Survival of the fittest' these days?"
"He gives his territory free electricity as a show of power of sorts and It isn't a trade, as much as it is a deal when it comes to them giving it to us. They provide us with electricity as long as we provide them with assistance whenever they require it,"
"So you guys are his bitches..." Raina summarised, rolling her eyes,
"...Yes. If you put it bluntly." Oran nodded hesitantly,
"Is there anyway for me to meet this, Mr Wilson?"
"I will go have a look,"
Oran gave a little bow, as he slowly left the room, shutting the door behind him.
...
"Our new recruits, please introduce yourselves," A firm voice called out in a giant stadium with around a 20 others all standing in a uniformed row,
"Yes ma'am!" Another voice responded, "My name is Vera Everstein! It is my pleasure to join the Resistance!"
"I'm Ivanna Everstein, It is my honour as well,"
The two identical black-haired girls stood at the front, wearing the signature white and red Resistance skin-fitting uniform that perfectly outlined their now thin, hourglass figure.
"Perfect," the instructor clapped, "You two have arrived at just the perfect time. We will begin our first operation in 2 days. Operation A.H, also known as Operation Auction Hijack."