—Actually... That succubi is utterly beautiful...
Two voluptuous breasts swayed on a tall, slender, well-proportioned figure that was at least the equal of Lady Mercè's.
Even so, there was not a smidgen of excess flesh to be found on that body.
It was a figure all of which insisted a "woman."
Even the tattoo-like designs etched onto her beautiful skin, while striking, became accents that emphasized the succubus' beauty.
Her features were well-proportioned, as was usual for monster girls.
No... to be honest, they were so beautiful as to almost demolish my self-confidence as a human woman.
Her cheek and the bridge of her nose, which I glimpsed out of the corner of my eye as I was hung aloft, were so soft and full that, though we were of the same sex, my hand made to reach out to them, and my eyes were drawn to her lips, as bright red as if they had been rouged, every time they spoke.
Even the line of her jaw was fine enough to make members of her own sex jealous.
—What caught my eye even more were the parts that make a succubus is a succubus...
Her hair, which seemed devoid of color, appeared to shine dimly, almost as if it were made of moonlight.
That hair, each strand of which was unbelievably fine, leapt softly in tandem with the succubus movements, and gave her an air of mystery.
Her eyes, which expressed a strong purpose, were stained black, making their ruby-red pupils stand out.
Their strong-willed radiance was a bewitching one that might charm even members of her own sex.
Moreover, the silvery wings and tail that spread lightly from her back swayed slightly, as if to keep her balance.
Dyed a bewitching, glossy white, they called to people's instincts to keep clear, and at the same time conveyed an undeniable fascination.
"That was faster than I thought... I suppose I should have expected no less from the 'Strongest Hero'?"
"Ngh!!"
—I ground my teeth at the succubus' teasing words.
I didn't have it in me to deny them.
After all, it was a fact that I was a "Hero" and had been called the "Strongest" in Lescatié.
Surely objecting to that would itself have been strange.
Still, it was nothing but frustrating to hear it from the succubus who had defeated me without even letting me get close.
I wouldn't exactly have been happy to hear it said in normal circumstances, but when this monster said it I could hear only sarcasm.
"Oh my... but I wasn't being particularly sarcastic, you know? Actually, I meant to finish things by binding you properly, but you were stronger than I thought, and I ended up having to make you faint."
—In other words... aren't you just saying that you're that much stronger than I am...!?
I had of course fought intending to kill this succubus.
After all, my opponents were the bitter enemies of the Chief God, and those who would disturb the order of the world.
If those monsters were to succeed in entering Lescatié...
El would be in danger too.
That was why, without conceit, I had fought as always with all my strength.
But it seemed that even so I hadn't been able to draw out my opponent's full power.
Actually... not one sword stroke of my attack had even reached her, so surely that was to be expected.
She had apparently spoken to follow up my thoughts, but I could only think she had done so in order to clearly display the difference in our power.
"But... I'm glad you seem to be worth the trouble; you are... After all.... very lovely. "
—So saying, the succubus embraced my body from behind.
An inexpressible chill ran through my body, regardless of the warm body pressed against it.
In any case, the other was a monster.
My body struggled in response to those words, in which it sensed danger to itself, but, still restrained by the tentacles, it could mount no suitable resistance, and ended by doing no more than squirm.
"G, get away from me!"
"No. After all... I've finally managed to catch some first-rate prey; how could I let it get away?"
The succubus replied thus to the words I shouted to compensate for my body's inability to resist.
I couldn't see the expression of the monster who had drawn so close to me, but I was sure it must be triumphant.
In fact, I could see quite a tinge of complacency in that act of embracing me tightly from behind.
I wanted to insist that it was conceit, but as I now lacked any means of resisting her, I had no room to do so.
—Calm down, Wilmarina... there's no point losing your temper now...!
Telling myself that, I suppressed my loss of composure.
Actually, as there was no way for me to resist in my current situation, I ought to avoid expending strength unnecessarily.
After all, seeing that there was nothing I could do with a frontal attack, my only option was to look for a gap and break through.
—But... first-rate...?
Thanks perhaps to my repeated instructions to myself, my thoughts had regained just a little composure, when those words recurred to my mind.
I had been called "beautiful," "lovely" and the like before—of course, more than half the time they had been empty compliments—but it was the first time I had been called anything like "first-rate."
It was not a word that would normally be used of a human, and it ought not to be.
Besides, my face and figure couldn't but be overshadowed when compared to those of the succubus behind me.
Even in Lescatié, people who surpassed me in looks weren't that rare, so... I didn't understand why she would go so far as to call me "first-rate."
"Hee hee... Does it seem strange to you...? But it's the truth! I mean, you're... lying to yourself, aren't you?"
"Gh...!!"
I was greatly shaken by the succubus' words, but even I didn't know why that was.