I woke in an unfamiliar bed. Not unusual when I thought about it, but this place was particularly ornate. Looking out the window, there were several similar buildings all clumped together in what seemed to be a bustling city.
As I got up, I noticed my body had changed drastically. I no longer had the physique of a human. Instead, I was slender, curvaceous, and had two pointed ears and horns sticking out the top of my head.
"Am I really..." I ran a hand over my bare body, and it seemed smooth and scaled, similar to that of a reptile. "A demon?"
A knock sounded at the door. "Your Highness? Are you up yet?"
"Who are you?" I asked, realizing that my voice had gotten softer and more alluring.
"Oh, my apologies! Your Majesty, I'm Lady Scarlet. I will be serving as your personal assistant."
"Come in then. Let's talk."
Lady Scarlet opened the door and stepped inside, looking down respectfully. She was wearing a revealing outfit, accentuating her own curves, and her bright red hair was tied back in a neat bun. She seemed... attractive, in an inhuman way.
I stood and walked toward her. "You said that I am the ruler of this place. What exactly do you mean?"
"You are the Succubus Queen, my Lady. You are responsible for running the affairs of the Underworld. It was your predecessor's decision to reincarnate you, and as his chosen, you have inherited his powers and responsibilities."
"What predecessor?" I asked.
"The previous ruler of the Underworld. Many believed that you had succeeded him, but they had no idea that you had been reincarnated. Now that you are awake, you will be expected to rule and bring order to the chaos that has broken out since your absence. You may need my help in doing so."
"If I'm a Succubus Queen, doesn't that mean I'm supposed to... well, have sex a lot?" I felt a little embarrassed asking this.
Scarlet nodded. "It's in our nature, my lady. That is how we sustain our magic."
"And how do I... I mean, are there any women willing to sleep with me?"
Scarlet chuckled. "Succubi are irresistible to humanoids. As a queen, you can seduce any mortal you want."
I grinned and walked up to Scarlet, tracing my claw-like fingertips along her cheek. "Is that right, Scarlet?"
She shivered, a smile creeping across her lips. "I suppose so, Your Majesty." She leaned in close and whispered, "But I don't think anyone else has to know."
I grabbed the hem of her dress, pulling it up slowly. "You are rather beautiful for an imp," I smirked. "It's like you're designed for sex."
"Well, it's a succubus thing," she breathed. "But I'll take that as a compliment."
I kissed her, and her tongue slid into my mouth. It tasted sweet, and a jolt of arousal coursed through my body. "Do you know any abilities I can use?" I asked. "As I'm the next ruler."
"Certainly." Scarlet guided me over to a full-length mirror. She took my hand and held it up. "Channel your power through your hand," she said.
I focused and saw my hand begin to glow pink. "What's happening?"
She waved a hand, and a portal appeared behind me. "That is a gate. Through it, you can travel to any part of the underworld."
I looked back. "Wow. But how did I learn to do that?"
"It's instinctual for our kind and is one of the first abilities the ruler learns. As the new Succubus Queen, you shouldn't have much trouble using your powers. Although, you may want to practice."
I nodded, staring at the mirror.
"There are many forces at play in the underworld, Your Highness," said Scarlet. "It might be necessary to form alliances with those you trust, or maybe those who are just useful. But for now, let's toast your rebirth!"
She picked up a wine glass and filled it up with a rose-colored liquid. We both sipped our drinks.
"This is delicious. Is it made here, or do you import it from somewhere else?"
"This wine comes from our vineyards in the south," Scarlet replied.
"Nice," I said, finishing mine off and filling another. "So, what happened to the previous ruler? The hero hasn't beaten him yet, right?"
Scarlet smiled, handing me a grape and popping it into my mouth. "Perhaps your sense of time is a bit messed up after the awakening? It's been 10 years since the defeat of the demon king, and the fall of the underworld. But as survivors have managed to slowly begin building this new society in those years."
"Wait, what year is it?" I asked.
"Today is June the 23rd, in the year of 1225.
"1225?" I mumbled. So it had been 15 years since I reincarnated. What exactly happened in those 15 years? Where was the hero now? Everyone must've forgotten about me.
"What's wrong?" Scarlet asked, noticing my confusion.
"No, nothing. How is the hero? What's he doing currently?" I inquired.
"Hero? He retired after defeating the demon king. Now he works as an adventurer along with some of his previous party members. But just because he's retired doesn't mean his strength has faded one bit. You should be careful," she said, inching closer to my side. "If he figures out about our existence, he'll hunt us down with everything he has. The former hero still possesses the most powerful weapon on the human continent.
"Yes, we should keep a low profile. Just a couple of horny succubi trying to make ends meet," I chuckled. "But it sounds like you know a fair amount about him."
"His name is still as popular as ever," Scarlet smirked. "But there are other important things we should be worried about instead, Your Highness. For now, the hero hasn't heard of our existence yet. We'll gradually build up our kingdom and conquer our world back. Our biggest problem is that our forces are all weak Lemures or newborn Larvae. We don't have enough dark energy to evolve further currently."
I glanced back toward the mirror and took a long drink from the glass. A strong, warm sensation built in the pit of my stomach as I gulped it down. "Could you tell me a bit more about the devil hierarchy? My mind is still clouded, I'm not too certain. For starters, could you tell me the weakest evolutions and go up?"