A/N: Forty-Two Chapters in and I think this is the first time I've done a split POV chapter? Lmao, enjoy the insights of Erised and Angelina into this situation they've stumbled into~
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… Fuck.
She was a fucking idiot, wasn't she? As Erised watches the Mother Superior's eyes flash red, as she and her Lord and the others gaze upon the undulating pile of feminine flesh at the base of her throne, Erised can't help but feel like the dumbest demon in the whole wide world.
Here she was, still beating herself up over her idiotic mistake. Her betrayal, as unintentional as it was, could not be forgotten, even if Marcus had slowly been warming back up to her over the past few weeks that they'd been on the run together. To say she was overjoyed that he'd decided to save General Roka-Ra was an understatement.
And yet, in the aftermath of that rescue, Erised had butted heads with the orc woman more than she butted heads with Angelina, for fuck's sake! Technically, they were supposed to be on the same side… but their relationship had gotten off to a rocky start from the beginning thanks to that dumb letter… and Roka-Ra's frankly over-the-top reaction to it!
Sure, Erised had fucked up, but Roka-Ra wasn't much better! The Dark General could at least take responsibility for her actions!
Regardless… their relationship had definitely been more antagonistic then it should have been these past several weeks. That, combined with Erised's self-loathing and eternal guilt, had left her in something of a slump, stewing in her own mistakes and misery. On top of that, she'd put her all into making sure their tracks were swept behind them as they'd returned to the Holy Empire from the snowy hills in the North. She'd exhausted herself doing that.
… But that was no excuse. None of that was any excuse for how utterly BRAINDEAD Erised had been. She should have realized the moment Roka-Ra mentioned another Dark General that would be able to guide them to a different Dark General who had the answers Marcus sought. And if not then, she DEFINITELY should have realized what was going on the moment that the orc led them to a CONVENT of all places.
Of course Roka-Ra wasn't trying to lead them into a trap. Of course the orc woman would no more put herself back into the Church's power then she would lead Marcus right into their sights. In the end, there was only one reason that Roka-Ra would be comfortable entering a Convent filled with Priestesses of the Holy Light. Only one simple reason.
"Well, well, well."
The Mother Superior's voice is as sultry as it is sweet. Rising from her throne of bodies, she gives them all a coy, wicked grin. Her ruby red lips pull back just right, and her tongue slips out to lick along them for a moment. She steps down across the bodies of the Priestesses cavorting beneath her with a grace that should have been impossible given what she was walking on. And yet, she does not falter, does not trip, does not even have to shift to keep her balance.
Spreading her arms wide, letting her hands flick out, the Mother Superior lets out a tinkling laugh, one that's filled with as much menace as it is mirth. Her eyes dart from Roka-Ra to Marcus to Erised and Angelina… but in the end, they settle somewhere between Roka-Ra and Marcus, paying Erised and Angelina no real mind.
"General Roka-Ra. You've come for a visit. And you've brought presents~ How absolutely delightful."
Standing tall, her chin jutting out in defiance, as though meaning to weather the Mother Superior's presence by sheer Force of Will, Roka-Ra grunts.
"General Sepia. I bring you our Lord… so that you might serve him to the best of your ability."
Erised's mouth goes dry as her hunch is fully confirmed. The Dark General before them… was Sepia the Succubus. Also known as the Great Corruptor.
Now, if you'd asked any member of the Church of the Most Holy Light what the difference between a Demon and a Succubus was, they'd tell you there wasn't one. All demons were corrupting influences, they would say. It didn't matter what form they took, or what their abilities looked like. They were all dark and all evil, full stop.
But that was a very short sighted way of looking at things. Put simply, Succubus was a Job, and thus very different from your average demon. Erised's abilities as an Assassin were 'evil' enough by the Church's draconian standards. Never mind that sometimes bad people needed killing, if you Awakened with a Job like Assassin, you were one of those bad people in the Church's eyes.
But Succubi were way worse than that as far as the Church was concerned. Their abilities made them feed off of emotions and feelings. They built lust and desire in others so they could have a grand buffet for themselves. They were why the Church labeled all demons as 'corrupting influences' to be killed on sight. Even if Succubi themselves weren't inherently bad, their Job Abilities, could be used for a number of dark and terrible purposes.
And Sepia? Sepia was the epitome of that bad reputation, from what Erised's mother had taught her. Sepia the Succubus, aka the Great Corruptor, was everything that the Church hated about the Succubus Job, a rare demon-only Job that they'd done their best to exterminate over the centuries.
To put it bluntly, Erised was an idiot for not realizing they were coming to see Sepia earlier. They were never in any danger of the Church here… but that did not mean they weren't still in danger of something… or rather, some-ONE.
"Oh?"
At Roka-Ra's words, Sepia hums, stepping closer. Her eyes flash red again, and she tilts her head to the side as she studies Marcus like one might study a particularly interesting bug.
"You claim this is the Dark Lord, do you Roka-Ra?"
Roka-Ra bristles at Sepia's tone, but tellingly enough, doesn't speak up. There are Dark Generals… and then there are Dark Generals. Still, to his credit, Marcus stands tall while Sepia closes in on him. As she licks her lips again, the Succubus stops… and chuckles throatily.
"And here I heard he was the Destined Hero. Which is it then? Hero? Lord? Am I to bow my head in subservience, only to bare my neck for that nasty looking halberd?"
The seductive menace Sepia exudes makes it clear how laughable a concept she finds that to be. However, before anyone, Marcus included, can answer… the Succubus instantly changes tack. Suddenly, she's all giggly as she enters Marcus' personal space and runs a hand down the front of his chestplate.
"Ah, but why concern yourself with Demon Slaying, Hero Lord. Whichever you are… why don't you take a load off? Join me and my precious girls. We can have such fun together~"
Erised can tell that Sepia is trying to use some sort of ability on her Lord. She doesn't wait to see Marcus' response. She doesn't hesitate to step in, even knowing that someone like Sepia could crush her like a bug before she could even blink. With a snarl, Erised leaps forward, dropping her glamor and interposing herself between her Lord and the Dark General. Wielding her now-visible wicked daggers, the Demon Assassin finally meets Sepia's red eyes, glaring her down with demonic yellow eyes of her own.
"Back Off."
To her surprise, Sepia actually rears back, seeming shocked by her appearance. Pulling away, the Dark General hesitates for a moment… before peering at her more closely.
"… Erised? Volupa's little girl, all grown up?"
Then, the Succubus pauses and lets out another tinkling laugh.
"Well, not quite all grown-up, are you? It seems you've ended up quite small, little one."
Erised flushes at that. She should have known Sepia would recognize her. Her mother had told Erised enough about the Great Corruptor. The Church might have hated Sepia, but the Dark loved her. It had been the Succubus who had introduced Volupa to Gral-Ra in the first place.
But now was neither the time nor the place for such a conversation. Gritting her teeth, Erised keeps her daggers as well as her hackles raised.
"Insult me as you like. I know I am nothing before you, General. But the one at my back IS the Dark Lord Marcus, Son of Gral-Ra, and you will show him the respect he is due."
Sepia seems to take in these words for a moment, before shaking her head.
"Where is your mother, little one?"
Erised jolted at the rather random question. She frowns deeply.
"… She's not around anymore. It's not important. You stand before the Dark Lord. You disrespect the Dark Lord and his allies. You should be kneeling and pledging your fealty."
The Succubus tilts her head at that, visibly amused now.
"I should, should I? I find I am not so convinced, little Erised. Your Dark Lord wears shining armor and wields a weapon glowing with the Holy Light."
Bristling, Erised answers tersely.
"Subterfuge. Nothing more."
"Oh? Is that so."
Right before Erised's eyes, Sepia lifts both of her hands. In one, she forms the Identification Sign of the Dark. But in the other… she forms the Identification Sign of the Light. Erised's eyes widen at this, and behind her she hears a soft gasp from Angelina as well as a sharp inhale from Marcus. Sepia, meanwhile, studies both results for a moment before nodding and swishing her hands out, dispelling the two Signs.
"As I thought. He shows up as both. And so I ask again… is he the Dark Lord? Or is he the Destined Hero? Who is trying to fool who here, hm? Should I follow a Lord that might be a Hero in disguise? Me, the Darkest and Most Evil Creature that has ever walked the Holy Empire? I do believe I am meant to be more discerning than that, little Erised."
Erised opens her mouth but doesn't know what to say in response to that. And before she can formulate a reply… a response comes from another source entirely. Perhaps the most unexpected source in the room.
"Does it really matter?"
All eyes sweep to the Holy Priestess standing behind Marcus as she steps forward. Erised can only watch with wide eyes as Angelina looks at Sepia with shocking earnestness, the Great Corruptor looking back at her with a raised brow. The Succubus exudes unending amusement and poignant menace even then as she tilts her head to the side.
"Excuse me?"
Fuck. Angelina… what the hell was she doing?
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From the moment Angelina has stepped foot in the Convent, she's been rather confused. Unlike Marcus and Erised, it wasn't hard to figure out why the Dark General Roka-Ra must have been willing to lead them here. She must admit, as they approached the Convent, she expected a place steeped in Darkness and Corruption. She expected the sanctity of the Holy Light to be disturbed, if not outright desecrated and defiled. Certainly, she did not expect to step foot on Consecrated Ground, no matter that it must have been so once upon a time.
And yet, as the Sister let them all in through the gates… it was so still. The Convent still stood as Holy Ground. It was still sanctified and consecrated, still a place of power for the Most Holy Light. She couldn't sense an ounce of corruption, no matter where she looked.
… Oh sure, there was certainly perversion, wasn't there? Lots of that. Even before they'd entered the Main Chapel, Angelina could tell that the Priestesses all around them, watching them… well, they weren't exactly pure, chaste beings, that much was obvious. Especially one to her. Angelina KNEW perversion. She herself was a horrendously depraved pervert, and so she was perhaps more attuned to sensing it than most.
However, for all the perversion that she'd sensed around her, Angelina had not sensed any true Darkness. Not an ounce of corruption. No one was being forced to be anything they didn't want to be, deep down inside. If the Sisters had been turned into these lustful beings against their Will… then, Angelina knows in her heart of hearts, the Light would have reacted. The Most Holy Light would not have abided by such corruptive influences.
But that was not the case. Even in the Main Chapel, where it certainly appeared as though this Dark General Sepia had defiled and desecrated the Convent's Inner Sanctum… there was no corruption to be found. The Mother Superior was a demon of no small power, that much was obvious. And yet… and yet…
"You're not Evil. You're not particularly Dark either. Are you?"
Angelina's answer is clearly not what this Sepia expects. For a moment, the Mother Superior just looked baffled. Then, she throws her head back and laughs. The menace she's giving off doubles in pressure and Angelina is not blind to it, truly she is not. And yet… it feels so fake it's not even funny. She can't explain why that is or how she knows… just that she does.
"Do you not know who I am, dear child? I am Sepia the Succubus. I am the Great Corruptor. And you say I'm not particularly Dark? Oh you sweet summer babe."
Angelina has… heard those titles in passing before. Succubi were certainly not well-liked by the Church. And the Great Corruptor… she'd read about Sepia, yes. A dangerous entity, all of the texts had said. But what if the texts were wrong? Angelina trusted her senses. She believed what was right in front of her face. And what she saw was simple.
"But you aren't. The Holy Light has not forsaken this place. We stand on Consecrated Ground. The only way that would be true is if you weren't nearly as Dark or Evil as you claimed."
Scowling now, Sepia scoffs and crosses her arms over her chest. Even to the others watching, it's clear she's on the back foot.
"I am LITERALLY a demon, child! Look around you! Look upon what I have done with your sisters and despair!"
Angelina blinks languidly before slowly making a show of looking around. Finally, she looks to Erised and then back to Sepia with a shrug.
"I've been traveling with Erised for months now. She's not Evil. As for my Sisters… you're not forcing them to do anything. Each and every single one of them is willing, aren't they? So as long as everyone is consenting… isn't it fine?"
Silence falls as Sepia stares at her, gobsmacked. Angelina stands tall in the face of her unblinking gaze… but she does begin to feel a LITTLE self-conscious when she realizes everyone else's eyes are on her too. Not just Marcus and Erised and Roka-Ra… but even the undulating mass of Priestesses making love to one another that Sepia had been using as a throne have stopped at hearing Angelina's tirade and are giving her the funniest of looks.
… Honestly, she didn't know what was so hard to understand about all of this. The Convent was still treasured and cherished by the Holy Light, even with Sepia as its Mother Superior. Sepia herself could cast the Identification Sign that the Light used without issue.
Really… what was the problem?
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A/N: *Angelina looks around* "Seems pretty chill"
Sepia: *Surprised Pikachu Face.*
I loved the speculation on the last chapter. I wonder if anyone saw this coming though?
Just gotta wait a couple days until Monday where Chapter 43 is... Sepia's POV :]
As always, hope you all enjoyed and be sure to let me know what you think!
Chapter 43 will come out on Monday like usual, or you can read six chapters ahead right now over on the P atreon!