Incubus Ascension

The heavy doors of the city hall creaked open, admitting Liam and his companions into the war room.

Inside, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of parchment and stale sweat.

Emilia and Sylvia were already there, hunched over a glowing crystal map that projected the city’s perimeter.

Liam strode forward, his boots clicking sharply against the stone floor.

He didn’t waste time with pleasantries.

"How much time before the succubus army reaches the gates?"

Sylvia looked up, her eyes weary but sharp, reflecting the frantic light of the crystal.

"You arrived at the perfect moment. The vanguard will be upon us in three hours."

Liam exchanged a quick, firm nod with the girls.

They had snatched what little rest they could during the journey, and the adrenaline was already beginning to hum beneath his skin.

"We’re ready."

Sylvia traced a finger across the glowing map, highlighting a winding path through the city’s rear districts.

"I’ve assigned you a critical role. The main forces will engage the enemy head-on, but the supply route is vulnerable.

If they cut off our provisions, the defensive barrier will collapse within the hour.

You are to hold that line."

Liam’s gaze drifted to the side of the room.

"Is there anything left of the city’s forces?"

Sylvia managed a fragile, tired smile.

"We’ve scraped together the remaining garrison and a few brave volunteers.

In fact, one of them just arrived."

The door creaked again, and Vanessa stepped inside.

She wore makeshift leather armor, her expression set in a grim, immovable line.

Liam felt a knot of worry tighten in his chest.

He looked at her, then back to the map.

"Vanessa, are you sure about this?

You still have your daughters to think about."

Vanessa shook her head, a strand of hair falling across her face.

’The only way to protect them is by getting stronger,’ she thought, her resolve burning in her eyes.

Aloud, she said, "The only way to keep them safe is to ensure this city doesn’t fall.

My daughters are smart; they understand what’s at stake."

Sylvia cleared her throat, redirecting the flow of the briefing.

"Vanessa will lead the reserve army.

She’s responsible for the second wave, should the frontline buckle.

Emilia, you lead the first wave."

Liam nodded, committing the plan to memory.

"Understood."

An hour later, the sun hung low, casting long, bruised shadows over the city barrier.

Liam and his team had taken their designated positions, overlooking the cracked asphalt of the supply road.

The horizon began to churn with movement.

First, it was a vibration in the ground, then a dark, flowing tide of bodies.

As the army marched closer, Liam realized the sheer scale of the enemy.

Winged succubi filled the sky like a flock of predatory birds, while the ground troops moved with a fluidity that was almost hypnotic.

They were near-nude, their forms accentuated by the golden light, moving with a blatant disregard for cover.

Liam frowned.

’It must be a psychological tactic. They’re using their own bodies as the weapon.’

The two armies clashed with a sound like a thunderclap.

Almost immediately, the carnage began, not just from steel, but from deception.

The men of the first wave, unable to resist the display, faltered.

Many dropped their weapons, falling to their knees, their gazes locked on the succubi.

In that split second of vulnerability, the succubi struck, their claws tearing into unprotected necks.

Emilia, watching from the command ridge, swore loudly.

"They’re losing their foothold!

The seduction is too strong!"

Liam watched the frontline crumble, his mind racing.

He tried to unleash a blast of dark energy as an area-of-effect suppression, but the raw force simply washed over the succubi, failing to disrupt their charm.

’They’re using lust against us,’ Liam realized, his eyes narrowing.

’So, what happens if I force that lust to turn inward?’

He poured his focus into his dark energy, twisting the frequency.

Instead of a suppression field, he projected a wave of raw, chaotic arousal, specifically tuned to the succubi’s own biological feedback loops.

The effect was instantaneous and grotesque.

Across the battlefield, the succubus ranks faltered.

Their movements turned sluggish and erratic.

Some dropped their spears, eyes glazing over as they began to claw at themselves, distracted by an overwhelming, artificial heat.

The human soldiers, seeing their opening, didn’t hesitate.

They rallied, pushing forward and carving through the disoriented enemy.

Liam didn’t linger to watch the victory.

He turned and sprinted toward the supply route, his instincts screaming that the real threat was elsewhere.

As he patrolled the perimeter, a shadow detached itself from the ruins of a collapsed building.

A squad of succubi flanked him, led by the very guard Liam had bedded days prior.

She smiled, a cruel, mocking curve of her lips.

"Well, well. If it isn’t the human who enjoyed our hospitality."

Liam didn’t smile back.

He drew his blade, his grip steady.

"Very well. You chose death."

The skirmish was short and brutal.

Liam moved like a blur, his sword finding gaps in their armor with lethal precision.

Within minutes, the alleyway was silent, save for the hum of the city’s protective wards.

But as he wiped his blade clean, a tremor ran through the ground, not from the main army, but from the command position.

A massive explosion blossomed in the distance, tearing through the city’s skyline.

Then, a figure descended from the clouds, landing gracefully before him.

It was the High Succubus General, V.

Liam felt his blood run cold.

"Where are Emilia and Sylvia?

They were supposed to be guarding the main defensive line."

V laughed, the sound sharp and grating.

"Oh, that human rat actually contributed to the defense, did he?"

She circled him, her wings beating slowly, stirring the dust.

"You humans are so predictable.

You betray your own race for the simplest pleasures."

’Is she baiting me?’ Liam wondered, his eyes darting toward the distant column of smoke.

’Is she trying to distract me from the explosion?’

V sneered, as if reading his mind.

"See for yourself.

I’ve already sent three of my strongest comrades to deal with your pathetic leaders.

As for you, little human... I’m going to savor you slowly.

By the time I’m done, you won’t even remember how to stand."

Rage, hot and blinding, flooded Liam’s chest.

He remembered the long nights of training, the sheer effort he’d poured into his survival, and the people he had sworn to protect.

He didn’t wait for her to finish speaking.

He activated his Devil Obsession skill, his muscles screaming as he lunged forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat.

V’s eyes widened, startled by his sudden burst of speed.

She narrowly evaded his strike, spinning to the side.

"Oh? You’ve grown stronger.

This will be far more enjoyable than I anticipated."

She took flight, looking down at him from the air.

Liam was stuck on the ground, forced to jump and slash at empty air while she rained attacks from above.

It was a tactical nightmare.

’Her wings,’ Liam thought, his eyes tracking her movement.

’If I can ground her, the advantage disappears.’

He reached into his pouch, pulling out the spider silk he had scavenged from the Dark Mountain.

As she swooped down for another strike, he palmed the web and waited for the perfect second.

As she came within arm’s reach, Liam didn’t strike with his sword, he grabbed her.

The impact of his hands on her waist threw her off balance.

With a savage shout, he vaulted upward, locking his arms around her.

"Let go, you insect!" V shrieked, her wings beating frantically as they gained altitude, spiraling toward the clouds.

Liam ignored her, his eyes fixed on her wings.

He fired the spider webs, wrapping them tight around her appendages, binding them to her torso.

The air thinned as they reached the cloud layer, and suddenly, the resistance vanished.

They began to plummet.

Liam cursed as the ground rushed up to meet them.

’Dammit, I didn’t think this far ahead!’

His mind raced, clawing for a solution, until he remembered the enchanted cushion he had looted from the Dark Mountain.

He pulled it out, slamming it beneath them just as they hit the earth.

The cushion absorbed the worst of the impact, though the shock still rattled Liam’s teeth.

He didn’t waste a second.

He rolled over, pinning V to the ground, and wrenched her arms behind her back, binding them tight with the remaining web.

He slumped back, panting, the adrenaline slowly beginning to fade.

He had neutralized one of the army’s most dangerous assets.

V, pinned and defeated, let out a low, chilling laugh.

"Do you really think you’ve won, human?

I didn’t come here alone."

A thunderous boom shook the sky, louder than any explosion before it.

A figure streaked from the horizon, landing with such force that the pavement shattered outward.

Beatrix, who had been following close behind, gasped, her eyes widening in horror.

"Mom?"

Liam looked up.

Standing before them was a woman who looked like an older, more imposing version of Beatrix, possessing the same striking features but tempered with a lethal, seasoned elegance.

She stared down at Beatrix, her expression unreadable.

"It’s complicated, my daughter.

I didn’t join them for their sake... I’m doing this for ours."