Asura arrived at the sanctuary shortly after Wain split off to grab his bag, taking quick notice of Mel glaring in his direction. Trying to avoid eye contact, Asura looked around the room while whistling to avoid any confrontation. On the other side of the room, he noticed Ash was sitting in a pew, quietly scolding himself for his mistakes during the fight.
The human's face reminded Asura of an old friend he once had. Like his old friend, Ash's face was plagued with frustrated calculations as he tried to process each engagement between them. His furrowed brows, partnered by deep sighs, told it all. Ash roughly massaged his face. Every solution he thought of must have resulted in an unfavored outcome.
Asura couldn't decipher his mumbling, but he figured it was something like, "Asura is so cool, awesome, and muscular. How amazing is Asura!" To be fair to the human, Ash wasn't particularly bad at fighting, even if Asura hated to admit it. His swordsmanship was refined, making it difficult to find openings between his movements. It was a sword technique he hadn't encountered often, which made it excessively difficult to deal with.
If the human had the same strength as Asura, he may have stood a better chance. However, he still lacked experience. Asura has encountered many foes far stronger than him, which may be hard to believe. But, the ogre always prevailed in the scenarios due to acquired wisdom over the years of fighting.
Although it wasn't particularly evident due to his playful nature, Asura watched every movement of his opponent like a tiger observing his prey. Every breath, every slight adjustment, every flick of the eyes, and even the beat of your heart was perceived by the ogre.
What surprised Asura the most was Ash's posture. No evidence of their battle was left behind. His body had fully recovered. He seemed better than ever. He stood up with ease, with no limp, no groan of pain escaping his lips, and his eyes and face didn't twist from any suffering as he headed over to Mel.
"I swear on everything the Archangel Hephestine has made that if you do anything, Asura. I am going to lose it. I will make sure that you-"
She pointed at Asura aggressively,
"-Never! EVER! Get to eat any food here again. Understand?"
"How would you do that?"
"I will shoot it out of your hands every time you lift anything to your mouth. Like that story about how that king lifts something to his mouth and shrivels up as it draws near. You will never taste food again as long as I live. If I can't kill you, I will make you want to kill yourself."
Asura pursed his lips while nodding his head slightly,
"Alright, understood. No messing around. I will be good. A good ogre, a good boy. A refined young ogre, you may say. An esteemed gentleman, an ogre of courtesy."
"Shut up, we both know you're going to do something. Just make sure it's to your lowest minimum standard of idiocy you can."
"Can do."
Mel motioned for everyone to leave as she walked towards the cathedral's front doors.
"Wait, what about Wain?"
"We can wait for him outside."
Each member proceeded to leave, but something caught Asura's attention. Unlike the previous ones, everyone was wearing a different outfit. Mel wore a heavy black vest with slots and pockets for tools, multicolored vials, and other utility items. Under the vest was a dainty pink T-shirt with a feline cartoon character on it. Her pants had a black and gray camouflage pattern with far too many pockets to be reasonable.
"Damn, even Ash is geared up." Over his hideous yellow shirt was a black jacket with a few knives strapped to the front. A few pockets were lined with colorful vials on his right breast, just like Mel's.
"What's up with the weird bottles?"
"Something only priests need to know about."
"Ain't I a priest thingy now?"
"Nope, not by my standards. You are still a monster whether you are on the team or not. Let's just call them our trump card if you act out of line. If we throw one, move out of the way. Unless you are what we are throwing them at, then please stand still."
Asura frowned at Mel's passive aggressiveness. Mumbling under his breath, he mocked the woman,
"Well. I didn't want to know anyway. Probably lame anyway, not like it would hurt me. You guys can't even scratch me, lame-ass losers. Only losers use cool vials."
From behind him, Wain appeared in the room, wearing different clothes. However, Wain, on the other hand, wore something vastly different. Crowning Wain's head was a tan bucket hat. The difference between Wain and the others was surprising to Asura. Even the color of his clothes was distinctively in earthly hues, vastly unlike the midnight black the others wore.
Like the others, he also wore a jacket, but instead of the midnight black, his was a mossy dark green. His jacket rested against a light brown shirt hidden underneath the large jacket riddled with multiple pockets. "What is with humans and pockets?.." Asura thought. On his back was his usual brown bag covered in dirt. The sight always made him smile a little, everything was very orderly in the human realm which felt alien to him. They loved their golden décor, their shiny, pristine surfaces, their so-called perfectly clean existences.
In a world obsessed with perfection, Wain existed, covered in dirt. He worked hard for what he had and complained very little, appreciating every little thing given. As he spent time with the human, it became clear why the Archangels allowed him into the gardens. His hard work and determination were respectable.
Although Wain looked different than the others, he still seemed prepared for a large battle that might occur. Their outfits were their battle gear, he supposed. Looking down at his clothes, he mumbled sadly to himself,
"You guys all look ready for a war, and yet here I am looking like a homeless bum with no shoes."
Ignoring his comment, the group left the cathedral, prepared for the worst to come. Whatever Asura was planning was not going to be good... They needed to be prepared for anything.
Finally, they were leaving. Asura breathed a breath of fresh air as the doors swung open. A beautiful night sky sat above once again, with stars twinkling all around. Asura enjoyed the dark, but he was eager to see the sun at some point. The warm, cozy feeling of heat hitting his skin made him reminisce about an old-time long forgotten. As his mind lingered on what once was, a headache crept its way into his mind.
A sudden honk jolted Asura out of his distant memories, returning him to the real world. Before him sat an expensive-looking luxury sedan that flashed its lights in the night. The bright, sparkling red color reflected the moonlight, making Asura feel like he was in an action movie starring a bald guy who wore shades even at night. The sleek design was just like the cars in the thousands of commercials that plagued his shows. For some reason, humans were obsessed with using random descriptions unrelated to cars for car commercials.
Mel jingled the keys excitingly in her hands. The massive smile on her face made it obvious she was eager to drive the car, which slightly scared Asura. "Does she not drive often? Is this about to be a comedy movie where the driver swerves and hits stuff..." Asura thought as his stomach began to sink.
"Time to go. Everyone, get in."
Asura couldn't help but be slightly confused by the fact they were using a car to get there. He tilted his head and asked,
"Wait, you're telling me you got all these crazy powers, and you have to drive places? You can't just teleport or run really fast?"
Mel shrugged and replied,
"I mean, we could, but it would be a waste of stamina. If there is a chance of a fight, we might as well save all of our strength. You never know what could happen. Now get in."
With a defeated sigh, Asura climbed into the car, and everyone followed. He tried to sit up front, but as he climbed in, he felt someone grab the back of his shirt. Pulling him out of the car, Ash demanded the ogre sit in the back.
"Ha, no, you don't. Demons sit in the back."
Asura looked to Mel and Wain, baffled by this discrimination. However, Mel rejected his pleas for help. Their childish bickering for the front seat needed to be resolved quickly,
"Monsters in the back."
Mel flopped down in the driver's seat while Ash pushed past Asura into the front passenger seat, forcing Wain and Asura to the back seats.
"What bull crap, unconstituted discrimination, stupid reasoning, unwarranted hatred..."
"You are just saying words now..."
"Hmph."
Wain watched as the childish ogre grumbled under his breath for two hours. He figured he would have stopped by now, but his tantrum continued for an unhealthy amount of time. It was almost impressive how long Asura could hold a petty grudge. "Are all ogres like this? This is completely different than how the books describe them..." Wain thought as they sat in silence.
After driving for what seemed like an eternity, Asura's boredom evolved from tapping the windows rapidly to kicking the back of Mel's seat.
"I could have sprinted there and back a hundred times by now. This is so boorrrinnngggg. What is the point of cars... Useless crappy transportation."
Wain quietly replied,
"It's been two hours, dude... You will live..."
Asura slumped in the back seat, upset by this revelation. However, his tantrum ceased shortly after as he watched Mel pull off from the road next to a building. Excited, Asura jumped back up like a puppy, ready to go wherever the humans took him.
"Are we here now? Is this it? Wait... this ain't no strip club."
The small building had a few pumps lined up outside under an overhang. "It's a gas station." Asura thought while staring inside the building. Mel opened her door while replying with an annoyed tone,
"Just the gas station. Apparently, we need gas before we get there. The captain forgot to refill..."
Asura threw himself angrily back into his seat, crossing his arms defiantly.
"This crap sucks... Can I get a snack from inside?"
Mel couldn't help but stare at the ogre while she pondered the question. It was worth it if it kept this overgrown baby occupied, even if it meant she had to surrender this fight. Sometimes, you just had to give in to a child's demands to stop their perpetual storms of violent fits. "I would be a terrible mother..." Mel handed Asura five dollars from a wallet in her back pocket while pointing at the store,
"Go ahead. Just come back in like five minutes. Wain go with him. Watch. Him."
Asura dashed inside the small store, followed by Wain, who tried to shake off the feeling this was a bad idea. While heading inside the store to look around, Asura thought about all the delicious human snacks he saw in movies. The vivid image of a chocolate bar formed in his mind. Ogres used to make chocolate in the past, and if it were anything like their pots of chocolate, the taste would be immaculate.
The sweet aroma from his memories began to fill his nose. He could practically feel the soft chocolate melting due to the warmth of his mouth. The bitter flavor blessed his mouth with its delicacy as it spread over his tongue.
As he ran inside, he immediately moved toward the candy aisle but abruptly stopped. The lady at the register froze in fear. A horrified look spread across her face as she watched Asura, a black horned four-armed monster, standing in the middle of the store. Oblivious to the fact that he was the reason she was terrified, Asura asked the lady,
"So, uh... how's your day?"
After a moment, she hesitantly replied,
"It's going pretty crappy."
Asura sat for a moment and looked around the store. "Where was the source of her terror coming from? There weren't any scary-looking monsters in the place, so why was she scared?" He turned to the lady and asked,
"And uh, why's that?"
The worker remained petrified by fear and replied in a whisper,
"I told my boss I pooped myself to get out of some work today... and well, now I actually pooped myself..."
Both Wain and Asura joined her in her horrified state upon this revelation, waiting for her to move. She, however, did not attempt to move an inch from her location. Instead, she stood like an unmovable statue, making uncomfortable eye contact with the two, which worsened by the second. Uncomfortable and disgusted, Asura slowly moved to grab a drink and candy. He felt as if he made a sudden movement. She would make a move towards him, which was the last thing he wanted...
She never broke eye contact, which made the situation worse than it should've been. Her eyes were stone cold, like a wax figure that never blinked. "Why didn't she just move? I know people don't like monsters, but come on... you pooped yourself." Asura thought as he cried to himself internally.
Wain slowly backed out of the store as Asura threw the money for the snacks at the lady. Immediately after the doors closed behind them, they both quickly ran back to the car, desperately looking back as if she was going to chase them like the bogeyman. Without a word, the two flung themselves into the car. Mel couldn't help but watch in confusion as the two fought with the doors to get inside. She leaned down and looked through the window, asking,
"So, where's the change?"
Asura, still horrified by the experience, replied,
"You don't want it."
The ogre shuddered. Even more confused by his response, Mel opened her mouth to question him but gave up, deciding it would be best to leave it alone after looking at his face. With raised knitted eyebrows and a worried frown, he looked as if he had seen a ghost. "The money was not worth the headache." Mel thought as she finished filling the car. After filling the gas tank, she returned to the car and drove back onto the road, leaving the conversation in the past. Asura watched through the glass window as the woman remained behind the cash register even after they left.
"You humans are disturbing..."
No one dared to speak up and disturb the pleasing silence that lingered within the car as they finished their drive. Asura ate his snack quietly as if a child who was satisfied for the time being. They wouldn't dare to agitate the now happy child swaying in his seat as he sucked on the chocolate bar in his mouth.
Once they arrived at their destination, the group all climbed out of the car. Finally free from the metal prison they humans call a car, Asura stretched his arms and legs. The pleasant feeling of being freed made his limbs slightly shake.
"What took us so long? Was this place in another country?"
"We live in a small town. This is the closest one. You never specified which one we had to go to."
"Doesn't need to be specific. Anyone of them will do."
A smile spread across the ogre's face, making the group worry once again. Here it is... how much worse could it get, the group collectively thought.
Asura put his hands behind his back while walking up to the front door to enter, but a bouncer pushed him back. A tall, burly, bald man with a beard held his hand against the ogre's chest.
"Look, kid, I don't know what cosplay convention is happening around here, but you're not allowed in. I'm going to need some ID if you want to enter."
"Kid? I'm older than you, geezer."
Before Asura could charge at him, Mel grabbed the back of his shirt to prevent the situation from worsening. After letting out a deep sigh, she told the bouncer.
"Look, you're going to let us in because we have a job to do. See this embroidery? You know what that means, right? I am from The Temple. You know, and I know, not everyone can have this. It would kill us if we weren't from the organization. Unless you want us to investigate the place thoroughly, I suggest you just let us in. Otherwise, you'll be fined and maybe you won't lose your job, who knows?"
The bouncer scoffed at her demands but took notice of their jackets with Judex Divinum's symbol embroidered on them. Every civilian knew they couldn't fake their identity as a priest, or dire consequences would ensue. It would only lead to more problems for him later if he denied their entry, but the thought of letting this rude, strange-looking kid in left a bitter taste in his mouth. Hesitantly, he moved out of the way, making it visibly obvious that he was upset about the whole ordeal.
"Go in."
He jabbed his thumb in the direction of the door. As the group passed by to enter, Asura couldn't refrain from taunting the man, sticking his tongue out at him to provoke him. Furious, the man clenched his fist, ready to swing at him anytime. Asura laughed as the man turned bright red like a tomato. He knew the man was powerless against him since he was with the priests.
As the group walked inside, Asura recognized the familiar décor. Unlike human strip clubs, you could always tell if it was run by Succubi. They always felt like a refined establishment well, if you could describe a strip club with those words. Upon walking in, they were met with the elegant sight of a red carpet under their feet, which dampened the sound of footsteps and added to the intimacy of the place.
Complimenting the red carpet were sets of mahogany furniture surrounding a polished wooden stage. Each piece was meticulously crafted and sculpted, enveloping the customers with an ambiance of sophistication. Upon the polished, smooth wooden stage, a dancer gracefully twirled around a pole. The art of her dance was mesmerizing, and her elegance captivated the attention of everyone in the room.
The soft lighting in the room bathed its surroundings in a warmth, an inviting glow that welcomed its visitors as if they belonged there. The atmosphere was surreal, something none of the priests had ever experienced. The pleasant, sweet fragrance dancing in their nostrils numbed their minds.
Mel fought the urge to give in to desire as a luring melody produced by a piano immediately drew her attention to the corner of the room. "A piano?" The harmony danced in her ears, inviting her to partake in their lustful ways. The soothing tone of each key swept her away like a lullaby. Before it could take hold of her heart, she broke free from its lure. Asura laughed at their struggle to win against the Succubi's specialty.
Mel cleared her throat,
"Focus up. We're here for a reason. Don't give in to the temptations. This is just the dem-"
Asura smacked his hand against her mouth quickly,
"Do not... use that word here."
The seriousness in the ogre's eyes made it clear this was no joking matter. Mel nodded to affirm his message was clear.
Walking throughout the building were women with fancy red, purple, and blue lingerie complimenting their curvy bodies. Mel suddenly became flustered alongside the others, causing them to avert their eyes. "Why am I?-" Asura interrupted her thoughts.
"Whatever you have experienced with Succubi before is nothing like being in their domain. We are in their house right now. It will be much worse than you expect. Say a prayer because you will need Judex Divinum's will to get through this."
Asura easily studied the surrounding area, resisting the lure of the Succubi. Mel was astonished that the ogre was unaffected. "How could he resist so easily while they all struggled?"
"How come you aren't affected like us?"
"You haven't even seen their real beauty yet. Just an illusion."
Swirling through the place was an overwhelming Asura's scent of quotidian mana. He knew that underneath their perfect illusions, the real danger resided. Succubi played on the feelings of those around them. Lust and desire were their specialty. Every woman who walked through the establishment was a Succubi.
"Every single woman here is a Succubi. Do not be racist. Okay?"
Asura turned to Mel, who became visibly worried after realizing they were surrounded. He heard about these places being established by the Succubi but had never seen one before in person.
As they walked through the building, the scent of quotidian mana overpowered the luring fragrance produced by the Succubi as they approached the back. Someone here was strong... really strong. Asura's face lit up with joy at the thought of a fight. As he tried to wander off, Mel grabbed his shirt and scoffed in disgust,
"Pervert."
Asura became confused as Mel punched him on the top of the head, angrily asking,
"Who do we have to ask? And don't just try to walk off again, or I'll fry you from the inside out. We need to get out of here quick..."
She pointed towards the binding rune on his chest. Asura rubbed the top of his head as if he felt the pain.
"Alright, alright, if we talk to some girls, they should have the information."
Mel prepared to punch him again, but he threw up his hands, pleading with her,
"It's true man. Quit hitting me. I'll get it. Don't act as if you ain't the one being lured."
The group began to walk towards a few women eyeing them from the corner but stopped as a man emerged from the shadows of a velvet booth. He looked like the high school jock that never matured out of his teenage stage of life. Still wearing his football jacket from years ago, he awkwardly walked over in jeans way too tight for his chunky build.
Alongside him were two stunning women, one in each arm as he approached the group. It became clear to Asura they were only present to get what they wanted out of him. Their faces twisted in disgust for a brief moment as he drunkenly shouted at the priests and ogre.
"What are you jerks doing in here? Your kind isn't welcome here! Ge-get your asses out of here, or I will make you get the fuck out..."
The man swayed a little as his body began to radiate some quotidian mana. From his chubby body, a red glow began to be emitted in the room, casting a sinister glow on the surrounding area. The group's eyes widened as they realized what was unfolding. "How is a human using demonic mana?" The priests worriedly thought to themselves. Even the man appeared concerned as his body radiated a red glow. Terrified, he began patting himself desperately as if he were on fire.
The baffling sight perplexed the team as they watched him fight against himself. They had never seen a human emit quotidian mana before unless... he was a witch. "There's no way he's a witch, though. I mean, look at him." Asura thought,
Falling onto his butt, he rolled around on the ground, trying to put out like a child would. Pleading with the group to stop the light coming from his body. He definitely wasn't a witch...
"HELP ME! DON'T JUST STAND THERE!!!! DO YOUR JOB! HEAL ME!"
"Wait, how the hell are you using quotidian mana? You a monster or something?"
Asura poked the man's belly to see if an illusion would disperse upon the abrupt force. The man doubled over in pain from Asura's finger slamming into his gut.
"No, it just started after I slept with a few women around here."
The four stood in shock, processing what they heard. Asura spoke up again.
"Wait, you slept with the women here and got it? Did you get it from sleeping with Succubi? You got monster aids and got powers from it? Hahahahahaha that is funny stuff, man."
Asura's face immediately went grim for a fraction of a moment as he stated to the man,
"Seriously though, you need to get that looked at."
He looked at Mel, who was dumbfounded. Laughing uncontrollably, Asura grabbed his knees with two hands while wiping tears from his eyes with the other hand. The man sat there embarrassed, his face increasingly becoming a brighter shade of red as the ogre's booming laugh echoed in the room. Asura knew what it meant if he had powers from having sex. It was a gruesome fate for the poor man, but one deserved.
"Go find a healer. Tell them you got worms."
"Worms?"
"Yeah, you got a parasite, buddy."
Quickly getting up, he ran away in embarrassment from the group, leaving them with this new bit of knowledge. Asura managed to compose himself, pushing up off the ground,
"Funny stuff."
He looked at Ash, who shot him a death glare.
"You're no fun. Lighten up, man. Alright, well, I guess I'll get the information."
Asura walked over to three women, now free from the interruption. Each one smiled and greeted him as he approached, eagerly welcoming their next target. Ash couldn't help but turn away, noticing their skimpy outfits revealing almost all their bodies. It left very little room for imagination. One of the women talked to Asura while the other two split away and headed toward the group, trying to avoid any attention. "The more targets, the merrier," they thought as their colorful lips spread into devious smiles.
Wain became tense as the closest woman began to touch his arm. The sudden sweet fragrance grew more potent as she pulled herself close to his body. Her smell overpowered his mind, numbing his senses while sending waves of dizziness through his body. It smelt like he was back in God's garden, the sweet fragrance of the roses being blown from the wind for miles. She whispered softly with a melodic rhythm in his ear,
"Come with me baby, let's have some fun."
The other went over to Mel, whispering into her ear,
"We can have some fun with you, dear. What do you say?"
Quotidian mana could be felt building up around their bodies as if a charm were trying to enchant them. The Succubi were tempting them... Their visions began to sway as if they were drunk, weakening their will to resist. Trying to ignore them, the three kept their focus on Asura. A few minutes went by. Asura made his way back to the group. Mel asked,
"Well? What's going on?"
Asura looked back at the girl with a smile, replying,
"The big boss will be here in a minute."
Ash looked around, grumpily he asked,
"Why are demons hanging around in a strip club anyway?"
The utterance of the word whipped the demons' heads towards Ash's direction. Ash froze, struck by a paralyzing fear. He thought about running momentarily, but their eyes caused him to rethink that decision. Dozens of bright purple eyes illuminated the place, all filled with hatred and disgust. Asura understood their frustration. The racism within humans was unparalleled sometimes. Although he hated the word just as much, he knew these Succubi probably heard it more than him due to their occupation. "What a shame..."
The quotidian mana in the room was prominent before, but now, it has become a thick gas that suffocates those inside. Wain, Ash, and Mel began to sweat as it thickened every second. The priests found it hard to breathe as the density increased. However, Asura remained unphased. Ash watched in horror as the women's bodies shifted and warped, revealing their monstrous appearances hidden away due to the illusions.
Longhorns protruded through their hair, some straight while others curled. A few had multiple horns, while others remained with two. Large leathery wings unfolded from their backs, finally free to stretch and reveal themselves. Whipping viciously around their lower backs were thin, long, pointed, barbed tails that appeared eager to stick into their prey.
Before any of the priests knew it, they were grabbed and drug to a back room by the Succubi. Their astounding speed and numbers overwhelmed the priests, who were struggling to break free from their iron grasp. Mel thrashed, fighting their grips to try to access her gun, but it felt futile as they easily restrained her. She managed to whip her head back enough to see Asura walking behind them with a giant smile on his face.
"Shouldn't have been racist, serves you guys right! Hey? Can you put that human down? The bucket hat guy? He's not racist like the other two. You can keep them."
Without a question, the Succubi dropped Wain, to his surprise. Asura wrapped his arm around his shoulder and guided them alongside the Succubi.
"Why did they listen to you?"
"I don't know. Guess they like me?"
Surprisingly strong, the Succubi carried them through a small door in the back. "We shouldn't have trusted Asura... traitor." Ash thought, trying to find any opening to break free.
"What is your plan here? If you kill us, The Temple will send more, you know that, right? This won't be the end. Our-"
The Succubi roughly tossed the two priests onto a couch.
"Sit here and shut the fuck up, ok? We have had enough of your shit."
Ash frantically tried to prepare himself for an attacker, grabbing at the hilt of his sword. No one batted an eye in his direction. Instead, the Succubi left without another word. Asura shot a glare at him with an annoyed expression on his face, asking,
"You just had to be racist, huh? All you had to do was keep your mouth shut, bud."
Ash tried to speak but stopped. In the corner of the room, a woman sat in the dark. If she were another Succubi, "What were the consequences of irritating them further?" he asked himself. Her purple eyes remained still, observing, waiting. He didn't dare speak another word in her presence. Ash sat back down, deciding it was best to wait patiently for their boss. The woman obviously wasn't who they were after, or she would have spoken up by now. "Who was she?"
The music made Mel anxious. "Who would've thought a piano would feel so ominous?" She thought. Its soft keystrokes should have been comforting, but they weren't. Instead, fear swelled in her heart, and she couldn't help but rub her hands together to comfort herself. To drown out the music, Mel studied the room. It was rather small, resembling an officer she assumed was the manager or boss of the establishment.
Large wooden bookshelves sat on both sides of the room atop the same red carpet the rest of the building had. "Wouldn't it stain easily?" She thought, however, there wasn't a blemish in sight. The perfection of the place slowly became more off-putting the longer she spent in the room.
Between the bookshelves was a brown wooden desk, a single green book resting in the middle. She wanted to get up, to read it, to know its secrets, but the woman hiding in the shadows behind kept her sitting. To her left, Asura swayed, enjoying the melody as if it were his favorite song.
"How are you so calm?"
"What? How could you not? The Succubi are the best at music and dancing. Watching them is like watching beautiful magic displayed before your eyes. Every song puts me to sleep."
"You enjoy this?"
"Duh? Humans can't understand true art if you can't appreciate the masters who made it."
"Made it?"
"Ah, I ain't explaining that shit."
"Who's-"
Mel stopped, interrupted by the sudden intrusion of a woman entering the room. Her shiny black hair with bright amethyst eyes made her look like a Goddess. Pale skin with an elegant body, wearing a beautiful crimson dress made of harpy feathers that fit perfectly, complimenting every curve of her body.
Asura smiled. He found the source of the quotidian mana from earlier. This woman wasn't just any ordinary Succubi. Mel, Ash, and Wain froze as the quotidian mana filled the air. Before, the mana felt unrefined. Now, in the presence of an overpowering source, it shifted into a regal and powerful.
Every little bit of it was produced from one source, and it felt like daggers digging into their skin. It was powerful and plentiful, and Mel was terrified. They were doomed if this monster decided to kill them. Sweat dripped from her brow as she nervously played with the gun in her holster.
She had never encountered a monster with this amount of mana before, and her lower jaw trembled. Thinking about the situation and circumstances, Mel prepared for a fight. If she were to die, she would at least go down fighting, just like her parents. However, the woman sat down in front of them in a red velvet chair, smiling at the group and revealing four large fangs.
Then she spoke. Her voice was like a beautiful melody to their ears, hiding a subtle disgust Asura knew was directed towards humans. It was deep and unwavering, following a harmonious rhythm that compelled them to desire more,
"Well, I heard you wanted to speak to the king, but she's a bit busy right now. So, you will have to settle with the beautiful me. I hope you do not mind. So, what can I do, darlings?"
After seeing her fangs, Mel, Ash, and Wain realized she was a vampire. A terrifying thought. Mel went back to her lessons about vampires when she was in school. Not much was known, and it was very rare to encounter them. They were of high status in the Succubi realm. There are no records of a priest ever killing one. Mel turned to the boys, worried about what came next. All three were captivated by the woman's beauty, turning her worry to irritation within seconds. She crossed her arms and let out a deep huff that freed her from the lure.
"Are you really just going to help us for free? I can't believe a vampire considered a high-ranking monster is willing to help us so easily, for free. Asura said you would be able to give us information. Is that even true?"
Upon hearing the name, the vampire's face brightened. Her lips curled into a bright smile, and she clapped her hands cheerfully. She grabbed Asura's hands, exclaiming,
"Oh, I knew I recognized you! The queen talks about her nephew quite a bit. What can I do for you, love?"
Asura scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed.
"Well, we need to know what's happening with the cultists around here. They keep failing to summon a specific monster. I figured you guys know about it. As a result of their little games, I was summoned to the human realm. So now I'm here."
Putting a finger to her cheek, the woman thought for a moment. She watched as Asura took a drink from a cup on the table in between them. She bluntly stated,
"Well, from what I know, the cultists are trying to summon Jormungandr."
Asura spat out what little liquid remained in his mouth. Choking on the drink, coughing up the liquid that remained trapped in his lungs. Wain and Ash watched Asura clean himself up, trying to compose himself as he struggled with the delicious substance. His eyes were wide with shock as he held his chest,
"Jormungandr? One of the dragon Apocalypses? Big snake guy? World eater? Why would they be trying to summon an Apocalypse? Shit..."