Ch.115Liberation – 6

Of course, that was a ridiculous notion.

“I’m sorry, Master… I was stupid… Please forgive me just this once… Please… I’m begging you…”

Nika, as Elysiere had advised, was beaten only to the brink of death, and completely battered, she pleaded for forgiveness with a look of total defeat.

The other succubi, perhaps due to their instinct to unconditionally follow their Queen’s orders, did try to attack at first, but from the middle of the fight, as Nika was one-sidedly beaten and had no chance to issue commands, they quickly surrendered.

After suppressing the not-quite-rebellion, I sat on the bed looking down at Nika, who was kneeling with her hands raised.

I wasn’t particularly angry, so I had intended it as a light punishment, but since the recipient was the Succubus Queen, it had unnecessarily turned into an erotic scene.

Her exposed armpits, her tightly pressed thighs. Not to mention her attire.

“Nika.”

“Yes, Master…”

“I don’t intend to blame you. I was advised that once you awakened as Queen, regardless of your feelings toward me, you would eventually challenge me to establish hierarchy. It’s close to a demon’s instinct, so what can I do? I have to understand.”

Elysiere had said that while not defending Nika, and that I could kill her if I felt offended, but I had no such intention.

“It wasn’t even a dangerous situation, was it? To be honest, it was barely a warm-up for me.”

When I referred to a being as mighty as a Succubus Queen as merely a warm-up, all the succubi collectively flinched.

However, the emotion in their eyes wasn’t anger but sexual excitement. They were truly a perplexing species. I couldn’t understand what in my words had triggered such a reaction.

“Instead, what happens next is up to you. What will you do? Will you become my maid again, or shall I let you go to live as a Succubus Queen?”

Nika answered with actions. Without a moment’s hesitation, she approached on her knees and kissed the top of my foot. When I pulled back my foot in surprise, Nika smiled sweetly.

“Why are you surprised, Master? You said what happens next is up to me. Then of course I should obey you. Did you think I had any other choice?”

“I was planning to let you go even if you didn’t want to return as a maid. Under the condition that you live only among demons, not humans.”

I meant it sincerely. If Nika wanted to live as a Succubus Queen, I truly intended to let her go. The obedience spell was broken anyway, so there was no particular reason to keep her around.

“Where would I go if I left you, Master?”

But Nika looked up at me with tears welling in her eyes.

“I’ve already become someone who can’t survive without your essence. After you’ve made me into this lewd body, are you saying you’ll throw me away because I’m useless? That’s too cruel…”

“Stop the unnecessary acting. It won’t work.”

“I’m serious! The first essence I’ve ever tasted was yours—how could I be satisfied with what I extract from worthless trash!”

“…Was it that good?”

“It still is. Just from absorbing your essence, my body became like this. I can’t even imagine how good it would feel if we did something truly lewd! Just thinking about it makes my womb tremble! It’s all your fault, Master!”

“That’s… not true.”

I gave up arguing. Right. She’s a succubus, so this level of explicitness must be casual conversation for her. Didn’t Elysiere herself declare that their species has nothing but such thoughts in their minds?

Nika had been able to live normally until now because her unusual upbringing meant she lacked knowledge in that area, but now that she had inherited the Queen’s power and even absorbed essence, she must have become just like the others.

“So, you’ll return to serve under me?”

“Yes. I’ll live forever not as Succubus Queen Nika, but as your maid Yustera. I won’t mind however you handle me… won’t you take me back?”

Nika created a pink choker on her cupped hands. It had a long leash with a handle attached to the end.

“I don’t need that.”

When I preemptively rejected it, recognizing its obvious purpose, confusion spread across Nika’s face.

“Ah, but I haven’t even explained what it’s for yet!”

“It’s obvious. You want me to put it around your neck and handle you as I please.”

“…How did you know?”

“Are you seriously asking that?”

“But…! I thought you had no interest in such things, Master…! You never gave in no matter how much I tempted you…!”

“It’s not that I have no interest, I’m just restraining myself.”

Nika and even the surrounding succubi gaped in disbelief. They looked like they couldn’t believe it. But what could I do? It was the truth.

“Then, you could at least put the obedience spell back on me! Just in case!”

“Would you do that?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked if you’re going to do things that would require an obedience spell, or things that might happen ‘just in case’.”

When I flexed my right fist repeatedly as if showing off, Nika shook her head vigorously.

Of course, that was just talk. I had no intention of letting a Succubus Queen loose in the human world without any restrictions. As Nika said, just in case.

After all, things could go wrong at any moment regardless of her self-control. Especially since she had lived a life far removed from being a succubus and suddenly became Queen, extra caution was necessary.

“Still, having insurance wouldn’t hurt. If you want, I’ll put the obedience spell back on you. Stick out your tongue.”

“Yesss…”

Nika stuck out her tongue with a voice so sweet it seemed like she might float hearts at the end of her words. I brought my index finger to her glistening, scarlet tongue that was swaying lewdly from side to side, and infused it with mana.

“Hnnnng!”

A moan-like scream erupted, and my fingertip redrew the pattern that had already disappeared. The drawn line glowed bright pink.

By the time the spell formula signifying the obedience magic was completed, Nika was panting with her tongue still sticking out, as if she had done something else entirely.

“There, that’s done…?”

I hesitated mid-sentence. Nika, who had been panting just moments ago, was now opening her sweat-soaked cleavage.

“M-Master… like before, here and…”

As if that wasn’t enough, her demon tail flicked playfully, tapping her lower abdomen.

“Here too… please…”

“…”

With a sigh, I inscribed pink tattoos on her cleavage and lower abdomen, just like before. Nika let out moans clearly close to ecstasy with each stroke of the pattern.

Especially when I inscribed the tattoo on her lower abdomen, she showed an even more intense reaction, arching her back and reaching a light climax. Perhaps because her limiter had been removed after awakening as Queen, she seemed out of her mind.

“That’s it. We’re done.”

“Th-thank… thank y-you… Massster…”

I got up while listening to her slurred greeting. I had done exactly what I did before, so this was the end.

‘Should I stop by Elysiere’s place?’

I had no more business in the demon realm, but there was still plenty of time left until my appointment with Beatrice. Since I hadn’t seen Elysiere much lately, spending time with her wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“I’ll head back first. Nika, you handle your duties as Queen before coming back. Now that a new Queen has appeared, you could argue that the treason charges were Astaroth’s personal deviation and that the other succubi are innocent.”

It’s a well-known fact that only one Succubus Queen can exist at a time. In other words, the appearance of a new Queen naturally means that Astaroth is no longer Queen.

So if Astaroth’s betrayal is treated as a personal deviation, the entire succubus race won’t have to bear the blame.

In truth, from my position, I don’t really care whether they suffer or not.

“Yes, Master. I’ll return as quickly as possible.”

Nika, who had been rubbing her lower abdomen with her tail as if showing off the pattern, suddenly fidgeted with her fingers as if something had occurred to her.

“Um… but Master. You will provide essence regularly… right? I’ll be in real trouble if I can’t receive your essence now… Our species’ instincts are probably much stronger than you imagine…”

“Are you threatening me?”

“N-no, it’s true! Really true!”

Nika and even the nearby succubi hurriedly insisted it was true.

“Alright. I’ll consider bringing both you and Beatrice to the academy. Or I might return home briefly on weekends.”

Servants can be brought to the academy. They must stay within the dormitory, and their time outside is strictly limited, so we would rarely meet.

I had been considering bringing Beatrice anyway, now that she had moved past her overprotective tendencies, as she had wanted.

Since she would hardly be able to come to the club room anyway, there wouldn’t be a problem with the possessed talking to each other. This was still something I was considering, so it was a secret from her.

“Th-thank you, Master! I’ll work hard!”

Nika bowed her head deeply. It was strange to see her acting no different from the maid I was used to, rather than a Succubus Queen.

I had heard that demon instincts remain, so beating her would resolve the issue, but I didn’t expect it to be resolved so easily.

“After you finish your work, come to the place where we first arrived within two days…”

I stopped mid-sentence while trying to specify the meeting location, looking up at the sky. Nika and the succubi also looked in the direction I was staring, their expressions bewildered.

“Just to check, does the concept of night exist in the demon realm?”

“It does, but…”

The sky was rapidly darkening as if black paint had been spilled across it. Seeing this, Nika trailed off.

I took out the Eternity sword that I had put away. Something felt ominous.

Very, very ominous.

“…What did you just say?”

“The 6th Legion Commander, Raptarukus, has gone missing…”

This was the news Elysiere received immediately after returning to the Demon King’s castle after escorting Mira.

Elysiere asked again in surprise. The disappearance of the 6th Legion Commander, Raptarukus, was shocking even from the perspective of Elysiere as a possessed human, not just as the Demon King.

There are seven Legion Commanders in the Demon King’s army.

Among them, the 2nd Legion Commander Circe had disappeared, the 3rd Legion Commander Maker died during the invasion of Bellium Academy, and the 4th Legion Commander Rakul was also killed by Mira Crate.

Astaroth had also fled after all her plans failed and had her head cut off, so if Raptarukus was gone too, only Durakhan and the Elder Lich would remain as Legion Commanders.

‘…Something is happening.’

Although Elysiere’s goal was to collapse the Demon King’s army from within and then cross over to the human world to live with Mira Crate, the current situation was far too strange.

Two Legion Commanders had disappeared without her intervention. This was clearly a cause for concern. It wasn’t time to rejoice that things were going smoothly.

“Is there no possibility that he’s simply running wild on his own?”

“We were in contact until ten minutes ago, but suddenly lost communication, so we sent an undead… The hundreds of centaurs who were staying with Raptarukus have also disappeared…”

Elysiere unconsciously fingered the necklace around her neck. Not just one Legion Commander, but even the centaurs staying nearby had disappeared?

“Contact the 1st Legion Commander and tell him to put the entire army on high alert. I will not tolerate this—”

“Not tolerate what exactly?”

Click. The clear sound of high heels echoed. Elysiere reflexively prepared for battle. The Elder Lich did the same, but both were shocked when the owner of the voice revealed herself.

“Astaroth…? You clearly… betrayed the Demon King…”

The Succubus Queen, who was known to the Demon King’s army as having betrayed demonkind to side with humans, and whom Elysiere had personally confirmed was beheaded by Mira Crate and her corpse burned, was calmly walking toward them.

“Betrayal? Me?”

A chilling smile spread across her face.

“When the real traitor is right beside you, how dare you flap your mouth? Right, Demon King? No, you traitor who deserves to be torn to pieces?”

“You spout nonsense well. You’ve walked into the tiger’s den on your own feet; if your wish is to be torn apart, I shall grant it.”

Elysiere calmly prepared for battle. Although she didn’t have the demon sword, she was confident she could tear apart a Succubus Queen with her bare hands.

“Oh, really? Then where did your demon sword go? Why aren’t you drawing it while preparing to fight?”

“I don’t even need to draw my sword for the likes of you. Must I make you say that fact with your own mouth?”

“No. That’s not it. It’s not that you won’t draw it—you can’t draw it.”

Astaroth cackled. Black smoke rose from her right hand, and Elysiere’s eyes widened.

“Because the real one is with me.”

“How…!”

When the Elder Lich sensed the distinctive aura of the demon sword, which looked like a crude stone but contained immense darkness, he showed rare astonishment.

“How? The Demon God realized it too. That I, not a piece of trash who clings to humans like you, should be the true Demon King!”

Black energy began to seep from the blade of the demon sword. Elysiere also created a temporary sword using demonic energy to face her.

‘This will be a difficult battle.’

Just as humans can instinctively recognize the authenticity of a holy sword, demons can instinctively detect the authenticity of a demon sword.

And what Astaroth held in her hand was 100% genuine. It was evident from how the Elder Lich, who had been grinding his teeth at Astaroth, was now hesitating and not rushing to help Elysiere.

“Prepare yourself. I won’t let you die easily. I’ll scramble your brain, leaving only your consciousness intact, making you worse off than the lowest-grade succubus rolling in the gutters…!”

“Try if you can, you inferior being.”

Immense demonic energy rose from Elysiere’s body as well.

“I’ll rip out that boastful tongue of yours first and hang it around your neck as an ornament.”