Chương 214: Interlude - Family Reunions Are Always Awkward

It was a cold and windy evening, four days before the Necromancers of the Order of the Black Wand were slated to be wiped out at Fort Aynor. Two demons were traversing a snow-covered forest, each in their own way. One was bulldozing her way through it, knocking over trees and ploughing through rocks as if she was paving the way for a new section of the imperial highway. The other hovered silently just above the treetops, massaging her temples at the annoying cacophony coming from below.

"You sure this the right place?" asked Kora impatiently.

"I don't see shit around here!"

"I'm sure of it," replied Xera.

"I've been here only a few times, but it should definitely be- Yes! I see it!" The djinn spotted the two demons' destination from her aerial vantage point. Being able to fly everywhere really was quite convenient, and Kora couldn't help but be envious of that ability. Mostly because she wanted to drop down on people from a few hundred meters to see them go splat, a source of entertainment rather than a tactical advantage.

Still, the archfiend didn't complain too much since Xera was able to successfully direct her towards the place they had been looking for on behalf of their master. The red-skinned demoness made her way through the pinewood forest with renewed vigor, until she rushed out into a large valley with rolling snow-covered hills in the distance beyond it. A settlement stood in the middle of this oddly serene scenery, though perhaps 'village' was too strong a word to describe it.

There were barely even thirty houses here, and all of them looked to be quite old, despite them being in a good state of repair. The hamlet looked like it wouldn't even reach a hundred people even in its prime, which had obviously passed by long ago. It still had a few dozen people living in it, if the number of pedestrians milling about in broad daylight was any indication. However, upon closer inspection, any visitor to this place would immediately notice two odd things about its residents.

For starters, rather than being middle-aged or elderly country folk who had a rough edge to them due to the rural conditions they lived in, all of the citizens were nubile women, both young and mature. Pretty faces, alluring hair styles, bewitching figures, stylish clothing - it was like a cornucopia of beauty entirely unbefitting a settlement this far out in the sticks.

Their outfits in particular would make anyone easily confuse them for the high-class jewels that dwelled in prestigious places such as the nobles' district of the royal capital. The second oddity could be seen in their behavior when they saw Kora stride towards the settlement confidently and unhesitantly. This caused something of an uproar, which was only to be expected given that a random and potentially unbound demon was approaching a modest hamlet with seemingly no defenses.

However, it was the nature of the commotion she stirred up that was strange.

"My, my, it seems the average Intelligence of the ranch suddenly dropped by a few dozen points."

"How did she get here, though? Was it a fluke? It was probably a fluke."

"Must be a stray bitch. It's honestly a miracle a witless moron like that hasn't forgotten her head yet."

"To be fair, she'd probably be alright even if she did. She uses the head down below a lot more than the one up top anyway."

"C'mon girls, give her some credit. She can walk and breathe at the same time so she's definitely better than your average fiend."

"That's not saying much when the average for their kind is so low I'd need to hire a mole-beast to dig it up! Ah-hahahahah!" Rather than being treated with apprehension or suspicion, she was instead being ridiculed and belittled from all sides. This visibly ticked her off, which she demonstrated by twisting her face into a snarl and letting out an aggressive low growl. Any more of this and she would surely start killing, pillaging, and raping everything in sight, despite coming here with peaceful intentions.

Well, 'peaceful' by fiend standards, at the very least.

"Take it easy, fuck-for-brains! I told you to wait for me at the outskirts!" Kora's rage was just about to boil over from all the insults and jeering when Xera descended from above. Rather than in her djinn form, she had disguised herself as her old succubus appearance. Seeing the winged demoness float down and sit herself on the fiend's shoulder while slapping the back of her head, the surrounding women instantly grew silent.

One of them, a blonde bombshell with bright blue eyes wearing an eye-catching fur coat with unnecessarily fuzzy sleeves and neckline, stepped forward.

"Xerababadubuth," she called out in an authoritative voice.

"I see you have returned to us." The not-a-succubus smiled sweetly and nodded her head in greeting while still seated atop the fiend's shoulder.

"I have indeed," she answered respectfully.

"And what of your… baggage?"

"Baggage?!" snapped Kora.

"You'll be the one with baggage when-!" SMACK"Shut it, jizz-nozzle!" yelled Xera after slapping her on the back of the head again.

"You're speaking to your betters! Just stick to the deal we had and let me handle this!" The fiend grumbled in an unintelligible fashion under her breath, but didn't say much else. The demoness on her shoulder turned towards the blonde woman and once more bowed her head.

"I apologize for the rudeness of this cretin. I just sort of picked her up after we duped our summoner. I hope it won't be too much of a problem." The local leader raised an eyebrow in wonderment, but decided there were far more important things to address before dealing with the random fiend intruding on her territory.

"Rejoice my children!" she yelled out with a wide smile.

"For your sister has returned to us!" All of the women suddenly erupted into cheers, each of them firing off various Spells high up into the air like fireworks. Xera looked on happily, letting nostalgia overwhelm her as she couldn't help but feel somewhat elated at this extravagant welcome.

"It is good to be back, mother," she said while beaming excitedly.

"It is good to have you back, child," replied the blonde.

"Now, would you be so kind as to explain the… thing you brought with you."

"Ah, I suppose introductions are in order. Everyone! I'd like you to meet my new toy! Her name is… uh… What was it again?"

"It's Koralenteprix, you insufferable whore!" snapped the fiend.

"Koralenteprix Khusuuszun Caonthioxxaa!"

"Yeah, that. She may be dumber than she looks, but she still has her uses. I believe she could be of service to you and my sisters, mother, which is why I have brought her here." This den of demons was filled to the brim with unbound succubi from all across the continent, brought together by the demon called Yuukhiolelelari L'okrelaila.

'Yuu' herself was no mere succubus, but a higher form of demonic being known as an alcubus. It was the type of demon Xera would have normally Ranked Up into, were it not for the extraordinary circumstances through which she evolved. And, as expected of one who has reached the next level, Yuu could do things that low-class demons could not. Such as having children, or at least as close to that as demons could get.

The process involved two Ranked Up demons working together to deliberately mold the raw negative emotions swimming in the Beyond into a new demonic being. There was no actual mating, pregnancy or conventional blood relations involved, and it was more of a responsibility rather than a privilege. Nor was it something exclusive to the alcubus, as any combination of 'rankers' could partake in it, though it was traditionally carried out by a male-female pair.

However, even though it lacked the physical aspects of mortal procreation, it was still a deeply intimate experience. Creating life from essentially nothing was no easy feat, and required that each parent put a little bit of themselves into their progeny. It was therefore only natural that the offspring of such a union would feel a certain familial bond towards their parents, which was more often than not reciprocated.

That was why demons, despite being inherently selfish, devious and untrustworthy, treated those they saw as kin more favorably than others. Relatively speaking, of course.

"I have no need for dumb muscle, Xera," said Yuu coldly.

"The only thing she'll do is jeopardize our cover should visitors show up." Even if it seemed like this place being a succubi den should have been obvious from the get go, mortals were much easier to deceive than they would like to admit. Any unwitting traveler that happened upon or, as was more often the case, was lured into this place would become instantly enamored by all of the otherworldly beauty around them.

Even women who didn't swing that way would find themselves charmed and taken in by the extravagance of seeing so many succubi in one place. In such a state, it would take them far too long to realize something was amiss before they were trapped here. But that only worked so long as they remained ignorant, and having a gigantic bright-red demon strut around town was sure to ruin the illusion.

One could argue she could be used as security, but each and every demonic resident of this place was a formidable magic user in their own right. Any bandits or monsters that showed up with ill intentions were instantly obliterated, though this society of sorcerous seductresses tried to subdue the former whenever possible.

"I disagree, mother," said Xera resolutely.

"If I recall correctly, this place had a number of problems. Tell me, is there still a shortage of livestock?"

"… Indeed," admitted Yuu.

"No matter how many we capture and chain down, it is never enough for this ranch's needs." Men caught in this honeytrap would be imprisoned in one of the hamlet's basements, where they would have their life force harvested for their captors' enjoyment until they expired. Which, given the insatiable nature of demons, didn't take longer than a week or two, three at most if the prisoner was especially sturdy.

As for the women, aside from the odd squirter, they were usually turned into thralls and made to do menial labor unless Yuu claimed them as her playthings. Even though she was originally a succubus with the same cravings as her daughters, the alcubus had eventually developed some more… unique tastes.

"Well, this is where dicks-on-legs here comes in handy," declared Xera with a wide smile.

"Allow me to demonstrate." She hopped off of Kora's shoulder and shifted the fiend's battle-dress to the side to reveal both of her members, which were already standing at full attention.

"It may not be the real deal," explained the blue-skinned vixen, "but her spunk is quite enjoyable all the same. She has stamina and vitality in spades, too, so you can be sure she'll last a looooong time."

"Interesting. Though I find it hard to believe an uppity fiend would just let us do as we please."

"She has no choice in the matter, mother. She lost a Devil's Gambit with me, so now she has to listen to me and do everything I say until one of us is sent back to the Beyond. See?" She dug her nails into Kora's shafts hard enough to draw blood, but the fiend did nothing. She didn't even wince in pain. Seeing the fiend restrain herself despite being humiliated like this, Yuu and the rest of her brood would find it quite difficult not to believe her wayward daughter's story.

Their common sense dictated that there was no way one of those meatheads would let anyone - least of all a succubus - get away with making a fool of them without going berserk. Unless, of course, a Devil's Gambit was involved. This was a wager made official by a devil, and the loser was forced to submit to whatever demands the winner had established prior to making it 'official.'

It was an agreement that was on par with summoning contracts in terms of strength and strictness, so it was the only plausible explanation for Xera and Kora's supposed relationship. Unless, of course, any of her sisters had seen a single episode of the Boxxy Show, but that was extremely unlikely. It had been years, decades or in some cases even centuries since any of them had returned to the Beyond, so it was a safe assumption that none of them knew of Charles's latest Hero.

"Is… is it really that good?" asked a red-haired demon from the sidelines.

"Fiend cum, I mean."

"It's not all that great when compared to sucking the life out of mortals," said Xera with a finger on her cheek, "but what she lacks in flavor she makes up for in volume. The only problem is it takes a bit of effort to wring it out of her."

"I wanna try!" exclaimed the redhead while undoing her disguise.

"No, me first!" insisted a brunette from the side as she did the same. The two demons stepped forward while licking their lips and discarding what looked like their clothing, but was more akin to a second skin. The former's real form had a rich, ocean-blue color to it, while the latter's body turned fiery pink. Both of them were stunning beauties with impossible proportions that did not lose out to Xera's in the slightest.

Lesser men would probably fail to even notice the clearly demonic tails, horns and wings with such a feast for the eyes in front of them.

"You can share if you want, girls," Xera said with a smile.

"I've already told her she's forbidden from resisting or harming any one of us, so knock yourselves out. Just keep in mind not to completely wear her out. She's mine, m'kay?"

"Thanks for the meal!" With a unified cry, the two ravenous succubi jumped the fiend and knocked her to the ground. Since they didn't have Xera's eccentricities, they didn't even try to take those monstrous shafts inside them. Instead, they sandwiched both of them between their pillowy breasts and began licking and sucking on one each. Two more of their sisters joined in almost right away to assist with the lewd act, as there was simply way too much dick to go around.

The rest of them sort of formed a line behind them, eager to try out this new plaything her sister had brought before them while the demoness in question stood off to the side. It was then that Xera saw something odd. A succubus with luscious red skin to rival Kora's grinned wickedly as she approached the fiend's head. She caressed her nether regions for a second before sitting on the much larger demon's face with a sort of 'since nobody else is using it' demeanor.

She ground her genitals into Kora's face while demanding she put that useless tongue of hers to work. And judging from the 'O' shape her lips made the next instant, the fiend had begrudgingly complied.

"Huh, that's unexpected," mused Xera to herself as she stared at the deviant.

"Since when is Pria into that sort of stuff?"

"Priadraossiuz has awakened since her last contract," commented Yuu as she walked up next to her daughter.

"Awakened? What do you mean?"

"Her summoner was apparently a lonely girl that had called on a succubus to relieve her desires, foolishly thinking herself safe due to her gender. Long story short, that child had learned the pleasure of being serviced orally, and has been pursuing it ever since."

"And this is… a good thing?"

"In a way. I have found that succubi that have embraced their inner kink and eagerly chase after it are far more likely to Rank Up. But then again, you probably already know all about that, don't you?" The ex-succubus stared wide-eyed at her mother, who simply gave her a knowing smirk.

"You cannot fool me so easily, stupid child. Come, follow me." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The two demons left the scene just as Kora reached the first of what were bound to be countless orgasms. Her sizable load flew up into the air like she was some kind of perverted sprinkler, much to the joy of those around her.

It had been so long since they tasted the stuff, that many of them found her supposedly subpar substance to be extremely sweet and gathered around her to 'feed.' The fiend herself wasn't enjoying this in the slightest, however, as she was totally being treated like the bottom bitch. The 'Devil's Gambit' may have been an excuse, but the fact still stood that her master's standing orders prevented her from going against her co-contractor's instructions.

Yuu and Xera left the developing orgy behind, going inside one of the better-looking houses to get some privacy. The older demon reverted to her true form, causing her breasts to deflate at an almost alarming rate. When she was done, she was left in the shape of a sweet looking young girl on the cusp of womanhood who seemed to radiate innocence. Her blonde hair and blue eyes remained the same, while her caucasian skin turned several hues whiter.

Her clothes consisted of a surprisingly chaste one-piece dress that enhanced the illusion of purity. Even the tiny black horns on the sides of her head and the miniature bat-like wings on her back looked cute rather than menacing. It was an appearance akin to a rare flower, something that demanded protection and elicited emotional attachment rather than sexual desire. Unless, of course, one happened to be something of a pedophile, but that was besides the point.

"Well?" she said demandingly.

"Aren't you going to reveal your true self?" Xera sighed in a defeated manner and undid her succubus-like transformation. Hers was the opposite of her mother's, becoming even more stacked and obscenely dressed from how she was moments before. Yuu raised an eyebrow at this visage, as she was able to confirm that her daughter had not followed in her footsteps.

"So. You're really not an alcubus after all, are you?" she said with a disappointed tone. It wasn't the voluptuous body that had given that away, though. Even though all succubi had the same overall shape, their natural appearances varied wildly after their Rank Ups. Yuu's in particular was the result of her lusting after cute young girls. It was by no means the standard fare. In fact, most alcubui retained the buxom forms they had prior to their Rank Up, so she was definitely an oddity among them.

However, Xera was clearly not one of those. Her crown-like horns and exotic garb in particular were a dead giveaway to Yuu's experienced eyes. Although admittedly she had more than just eyesight to go on.

"You know, I thought I was being lied to when I heard you'd become a djinn, but I'm not stupid enough to deny what's in front of my eyes."

"Wait, you knew?"

"Of course I did, child! I acted along with the rest of your ignorant siblings since I didn't want to spoil their fun with that present you brought them. You probably thought it would serve as a distraction while you butter me up, and while I appreciate the sentiment, I am a bit insulted you thought I would fall for it. Did you honestly believe someone with my experience I couldn't tell both of you had Ranked Up with a glance?"

"I don't buy it. Since when did you have a nose for that sort of stuff?"

"Okay, you got me," admitted Yuu with a cheeky smile.

"I was mostly guessing just now, but I was expecting something like this after hearing how the most stubborn of my daughters went and got herself contracted to an extremely interesting Hero of Chaos."

"What do you mean you heard?"

"I have my sources."

"… I see. It was my father that told you."

"Might've been."

"Figures. That guy never could keep his mouth shut."

"Indeed. He was actually bragging about his exploits during Overlord Nagnamor and the Flaming Legion's most recent incursion into the mortal realm when he offhandedly mentioned he caught a glimpse of you in the materium."

"Wait, since when is he in the Flaming Legion? Wasn't he living it up in some lavish hardcore dungeon in the southern desert?"

"His contract got terminated some forty years ago. Apparently the owner of that place wasn't too keen to have someone with such a volatile temper roaming about the place."

"Well, he never was the type to willingly follow orders, but that only makes his joining up with the Legion harder to believe though."

"Don't act so surprised, child. There aren't a lot of employment opportunities for an ifrit sultan. Come to think of it, he's probably partly to blame for you turning out like this. You may have gotten my ravishing looks, but that bizarre obsession you have with fire is definitely his."

"Yeah, yeah… Wait, how did he tell you about my master in the first place?!"

"I heard about that loudmouth Nagnamor showing his dumb face during the recent war, so I called your father to congratulate him on his first official invasion of the mortal realm."

"That's not what I meant. I thought the Progenitor forbade demons from leaking information about my master."

"Yes, he did. To mortals." Xera rose a finger as if to protest, but realized that would've been a terrible idea. Instead, she merely let out a defeated sigh, followed by a groaning complaint.

"At least it's good to see you haven't gone senile in your old age, mother."

"Nevermind that. What in Queen Shridiaphrial's fuckable nipples is going on with you, my girl?!"

"… I guess I happened to meet the right master," said the djinn with a surprisingly pure smile.

"Yes, yes, but what's it really like? Having a monster for a master?"

"Like nothing else on this world. Much like you said, I had been awakened to pleasures of the flesh I had never experienced before. It took a little while for me to embrace that side of me, but once I did, it felt like my world had suddenly expanded. At some point, my Master started catering to my new desires, both regularly and, mmmm, vigorously."

"And what needs would those be? I'd rather hear it from your own mouth rather than believe rumors and hearsay." The djinn laid back as if she were resting on an invisible lounge chair and stared dreamy-eyed at the ceiling.

"I was humiliated beyond belief and torn limb from limb until my mind broke, until I could no longer differentiate pain from pleasure. My insides were ravaged by insertions you wouldn't believe, stretching me out to the point where I would burst open, and would then be devoured while still clinging to life. Hnnnng! It's the absolute best!"

"Yeesh," said Yuu with a grimace.

"Even for a kink that's a bit much, isn't it?"

"I can't help it mother! My Master is just that good! Just thinking about being dominated by it gets me going like you wouldn't believe! If it wasn't drilling me on a regular basis, I'd probably have gone nuts!

""It's far too late for that, methinks. I must admit, I've never imagined one of mine would turn out to be such a… submissive."

"Yet it was inevitable! My master isn't some weakling human or elf held back by worthless things like morality or common sense! It's a monster of unparalleled cruelty and deviousness. Hnnnnng! Boxxy really is the best Master a worthless shameless slut like me could have!"

"Stop that, will you? You almost make it sound like you'd fallen for it."

"Oh, but I have."

"… Come again?"

"I love my Master. Or at least, I think I do. I cannot bear the thought of never seeing it again. I had my contract severed twice now by outside influences, and both times it hurt like nothing else ever had. Not in the tasty way, either."

"Wow. You really have it quite bad, don't you?"

"I'm afraid I do, mother."

"It's not necessarily a bad thing though," said Yuu with a sagely tone.

"I as well have felt such flights of fancy long ago… I don't want to ruin it for you, but let me just say this. That terrible feeling you mentioned? It's going to hurt even worse when you eventually outlive the thing. So enjoy yourself while you can, but learn to let go."

"I like how you assumed Boxxy will succumb to something as trifling as death." The alcubus rolled her eyes with her arms crossed. She hadn't heard of that shapeshifter's resurrection yet, so she just took Xera's comment as 'the folly of the young.'

"I think that's enough chit-chat," she declared.

"Frankly speaking, your presence here does not put me at ease. Nor does the fact that you revealed this place to a mortal. So I'm going to get straight to the point - what does that master of yours want with this place?"

"… My Master demands one of your alraune."

"Ah, it 'demands' one, does it?" asked Yuu with a cocked eyebrow. Xera walked over to a nearby table and slammed her forehead into it hard enough to make herself bleed. After administering the 'self-punishment' as per her master's telepathic instructions, she turned her glossy eyes back to her mother.

"I misspoke. My Master requested your assistance. I am the one who is demanding you honor its wishes."

"That's more like it. What would a monster want with one of the plants from our ranch, though?"

"Does it matter? It's not like losing one or two would put your livelihood at risk."

"Of course, it will. Mishandling of those things could jeopardize everything I've worked to build here."

"Well, if you must know, it's not for personal use," claimed Xera.

"My Master has a request to bring one to a dryad up north, across the border."

"Hmmmm, is that so?" mused Yuu while crossing her arms.

"I suppose I might agree to that request then. However, I am naturally not doing this for free. I will have this master of yours assist me with a few simple requests first."

"My Master makes no promises, but asking is free."

"Quite. Well, for starters, I need you lot to promise me you will depart this place as soon as our business is done. I want to avoid having the Inquisition snooping around because you've been spotted in the area, and I'd rather avoid any chance for… hostilities."

"That's fine by us. Getting a mountain alraune is the main reason we're here to begin with." This ranch was located at the foot of the White Peaks, a pair of peculiarly-shaped mountains in the south-eastern part of the Empire. It was something of a detour Boxxy had taken while its plans regarding the Order of the Black Wand took shape. It would be several more days before it could act on those, so it had decided to make the most out of that time by tackling Ambrosia's request.

It wasn't sure when it could afford the time to come all the way down here in the future and it was quite eager to experience the new nectar flavor the dryad had promised it, leading to this surprise visit.

"What else?" asked the younger demon.

"Neither of us can imagine you'd want to part with your exclusivity for a simple non-aggression pact." The knowledge and seeds required to raise and care for a mountain alraune was something that could not be found anywhere else on this world. This 'ranch' was, after all, where that particular strand of the monster had first originated.

It shared many characteristics of the more common variants from across the southern ocean, such as the ability to use a combination of magic and pollen to mentally unbalance their prey. With their inhibitions loosened and their judgement clouded, the monsters would draw its potential victims in even closer with promises of pleasure, be it from intercourse or their incredibly sweet honey. Those who failed to resist the temptation would have the life choked out of them and be used as nutrients.

It was a hunting pattern not to different from that of succubi, but the two races were completely unrelated. Or at least they were until several hundred years ago. It was at a time when Xera was still the demonic equivalent of an infant when her mother started this little commune as a place her kin could come to relax. A vacation spot in the mortal realm where they could play around without having to worry about looking over their shoulders all the time.

However, they needed a cover, one that would make a settlement full of nothing but beautiful women seem innocuous. This was where the alraune came in. Yuu had brought them over from the southern continent and planted them all around the area to start the world's first - and only - alraune ranch. The exotic honey they produced could be sold or traded for bribes and favors, and their presence here would serve as the perfect smoke screen.

For example, if anyone were to question why there were no men among the 'staff' here, Yuu would just have to point out that women were naturally more resistant to the alraune's pollen. As for the sheer beauty of the employees, it could easily be attributed to the widely known fact that alraune honey was the ultimate cosmetic product. It did wonders- nay, miracles for one's skin and figure if applied correctly, which was allegedly why all of the women at the ranch were so pretty.

It was also 'regretfully inevitable' that some stray travelers or unauthorized intruders would disappear due to the monstrous vegetation. The wind could spread their hypnotic pollen far and wide, after all, and keeping track of upwards of fifty of the plant-girls at the same time was quite difficult. The locals therefore knew full well to keep clear of the area lest they become another statistic. If any shopping needed to be done or deliveries had to be made, the residents would handle the legwork by themselves.

In fact, the only visitors this place saw was the Imperial authorities who came to collect tax, but those people knew to take precautionary measures against the alraune's allure. These official were hardly unwelcome, though, as they were ultimately the source of the humans' complacency. As long as one paid their dues to the state in full and on time, then the authorities had no reason to suspect anything.

The ranch was also in excellent standing with the nobles as well, due in no small part to all the gold, honey and sexual favors they sent their way as 'gifts.' Xera had explained all of this to Boxxy, and the enterprising young shapeshifter did not fail to see the secrets it was requesting probably had a hefty price attached to them.

"My, how perceptive," stated Yuu in a slightly mocking tone.

"My Master wishes you would state your price outright," reported her daughter.

"It has brought gold, jewels and numerous magic items with it, so it is prepared to meet any reasonable cost immediately."

"Well, I can see that master of yours is still a little naive. Money is not exactly high on our priorities here at the Honeypot Ranch. We have more than enough of that to cover our needs, and it's not within our nature to chase after material things. There is only one thing an unbound demon truly wants - to fulfil their desires. To fill the void that is an eternity in the Beyond. To that end, I request your master's aid. Have it do a little favor for me, and I shall give you what you seek."

"… My Master wishes to complain," was the slightly delayed reply.

"'Why is it that everyone with some modicum of power wants to deal with favors instead of shinies?' it asks."

"Because there are things money cannot buy, of course."

"… My Master will hear out your request, but it wants you to know it will refuse to engage in anything that would endanger its life." The promise of Ambrosia's enhanced nectar was an enticing one to be sure, but it wasn't something worth getting killed over.

"Oh, it's nothing that dangerous," claimed the elder demoness.

"There's no fighting involved, and it shouldn't take more than a few hours."

"Then say it, my Master requests."

"Very well. For starters, I heard this shapeshifter contractor of yours has a certain… preferred form. A petite little number with a healthy brown countenance. I wish to see it for myself."

"If you insist." The djinn kicked her Conjure Mirage Skill into high gear, instantly producing an extremely lifelike illusion before her mother. One of a polished oaken treasure chest, bound together with braces of shimmering steel.

"… What is this?"

"You said you wanted to see my Master's favorite brown shape, right?" said Xera with a shit-eating grin. Yuu closed her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed deeply. It was her own fault for being needlessly cryptic, so she had nobody to blame but herself. In retrospect she really should've seen this coming, but the detail about how annoyingly mischievous djinn were had slipped her mind.

"No, not that one," she said plainly.

"I meant the beastkin girl. The one that supposedly tricked an entire nation. And I don't want to see an illusion, I want to be able to touch it."

"Should've said so from the start." Xera undid the illusory rendition of a false chest and rapidly transformed into a naked Keira, her evil grin turning into a pleasant smile. Yuu greedily ogled and groped her as she marveled at how flawless yet natural she looked. The combined impact of the adorably pretty face, the perky developing breasts, the gently swaying tail and the twitchy triangular ears made her momentarily forget this was her daughter.

"Ugh, could you not?" groaned the young not-a-catgirl as she pulled back with a look of disgust.

"Ahah, do forgive me child. I was just surprised, is all." The alcubus demon had a feeling about this, but seeing it first-hand proved her suspicion that Keira was just her type. Young, energetic, and with a face that was almost lethal in its cuteness. She wasn't what most people would outwardly call 'sexy,' but at the same time it was an appearance that almost anyone would find themselves adoring.

"This is quite the sight," cooed Yuu as she leered closer and sniffing at the air.

"Even the scent is splendid."

"Okay, you're officially creeping me out," stated Xera as she pulled further away.

"And the voice, too! Oh, you are just a treat!"

"I don't think I like where this is going…" After recollecting herself somewhat, the elder demon got straight to the point.

"Look, I'll stop beating around the bush. Your master, you have to tell it everything I say word-for-word, yes?"

"Uh, yeah? Why?"

"Because I'm going to take the liberty of speaking 'directly' to it for this final request. You see, Boxxy, was it? Someone with my tastes finds it difficult to satisfy herself in this sort of environment. It can honestly get quite frustrating at times watching my daughters enjoy themselves while I am denied such things. I therefore wish to lay with this facetious persona of yours while she remains completely in character.

I have a feeling the memory of such an act will help me cope with particularly lonely nights for years to come."

"My Master says that it will not, under any circumstances, go anywhere near you, so it will have to reject your offer." Intercourse with a succubus was dangerous enough on its own under normal circumstances, so doing it with an unbound and Ranked Up one? That was more than a little suicidal, even for a box with not a single drop of libido in its body.

"No, no, you two misunderstand. While I will not give up one of my plants until I have that scrumptious little thing diddle my twat, I never said the master was the one who had to administer the payment." The shorter-yet-older demon leaned in and gave the Keira-shaped and wide-eyed Xera a thoroughly un-motherly look.

"I hear you've filled in for the girl's 'duties' plenty of times, yes?"

"Uh… what? Where did this come from?!" she replied with a unique mix of shock, panic and fear on her face.

"I've always wondered what it would be like to do it with one of my children, but none of them would ever agree to it."

"Of course not! I don't want to do it, either!"

"I'm afraid you don't get a say in this, my dear. This is an agreement between me and your master. So what say you, 'o Hero of Chaos on the other side of my naughty daughter's thoughts?" When Boxxy left the province the next morning, it did so not only with its very own alraune starter kit, but also with all of its shinies intact. Not a bad day, to say the least.

Admittedly it also had an archfiend with a demolished ego, an emotionally violated and traumatized djinn, and a webstalker who was annoyingly grateful for being left out, but all things considered? Not a bad day at all.