Incubus Ascension

The metallic tang of blood filled the air, sharp and suffocating.

The MC clutched the jagged stump of his severed arm, his vision swimming as he glared at Sil.

Across the ruin of the battlefield, the Succubus Queen stood unmoved, her lips curled into a sneer of pure derision.

Beatrix saw her opening.

She unleashed a volley of searing fire, the heat distorting the air around her, but Sil didn’t even flinch.

With a careless flick of her hand, the Succubus Queen shattered the incoming flames, her gaze shifting with glacial coldness from Beatrix to the MC.

"You failed," Sil mocked, her voice laced with amusement.

"Like mother, like daughter. Both of you are utterly useless."

The MC didn’t dignify the insult with a response.

His pain was an anchor, grounding him in the present.

He forced his breathing to steady, and in that split second of distraction, he activated his skill: Devil Obsession.

Dark, viscous energy began to swirl in his remaining palm, coalescing into a sphere of swirling shadows.

He lunged.

Sil caught his blade mid-swing, her grip like iron, but the girls didn’t hesitate.

They swarmed her simultaneously, a blur of motion and steel.

Sil managed to deflect their flurry of attacks, but as she parried a strike, her eyes flickered toward the MC.

He hadn’t attacked.

He had been holding that ball of dark energy, compressing it until the very air seemed to crackle and weep.

Sil’s eyes widened.

She sensed the sheer concentration of malice within the sphere and scrambled to take flight.

"Oh no, you don’t," the MC rasped.

He launched himself into the air, a desperate, final leap.

Just as Sil’s feet cleared the ground, he slammed the dark sphere into her shoulder.

The energy detonated with a sickening crunch.

Her arm fell cleanly from her body, tumbling to the scorched earth below.

She caught the severed limb, her face contorting into a mask of pure, unadulterated hatred.

"You rat!"

She didn’t give him a moment to breathe, her wings beating violently as she rose higher.

"I am sick of playing with you rats! I’m going to end you all!"

She unleashed a storm of shadow, a barrage of power that forced the MC and the girls onto the defensive.

They barely managed to block the onslaught, their stamina draining with every impact.

Ast, still shackled, watched the chaos with a grimace.

She looked at the MC, her eyes sharp.

"Hey! Free me, and I’ll help you!"

Sil paused, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face at the declaration, but she merely grit her teeth and doubled down on her assault.

The MC looked at the Succubus Queen, then over at Beatrix, who had hardened her expression, prepared for the worst.

The MC broke into a run, closing the distance to the imprisoned Ast.

He didn’t hesitate.

He slashed the restraints binding her, the metal clattering to the ground.

"I didn’t free you because I wanted the help," he said, his voice firm over the din of battle.

"I freed you because I trust Beatrix, and she never spoke a bad word about you."

Ast paused, looking at the MC for a long, searching moment.

A wry smile touched her lips.

"Hmm. I get it now. I see why my daughter fell for you. But let’s finish this family reunion and kill her."

Sil hissed, staring at the woman who had once been her own.

"I wish I’d never given you that proposal, Ast."

"You only made it because you lacked generals," Ast retorted, drawing her own weapon.

Together, the group surged forward.

With Ast’s tactical insight and the renewed ferocity of the team, the tide turned in an instant.

They hammered at Sil, wearing her down until, finally, a synchronized strike ended the Succubus Queen’s reign.

The MC collapsed onto the ground, his chest heaving.

He let out a long, ragged sigh of relief.

"Damn. When this war finally ends, I’m taking the longest nap of my life."

Ast looked toward the distance, where the oppressive red glow of the enemy forces began to flicker and die, overwhelmed by a steady, encroaching white light.

"It seems things are finally over."

A figure emerged from the smoke, running toward them.

It was Sylvia.

The MC stood up, bracing himself.

"Sylvia? Why did you take so long?"

She stopped, her usual composed demeanor shattered.

She fell silent, her hand trembling slightly as she lifted a white hat.

It was unmistakably Emilia’s.

The MC stared at it, the air leaving his lungs.

"What happened to Emilia?"

Sylvia looked away, her jaw tight.

For the first time, her expression wasn’t one of controlled cheer, but of cold, hardened grief.

"She fell... but she took three of their generals down with her."

The group fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.

The MC didn’t press her for details; the look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know.

Suddenly, Sylvia shifted.

Her eyes locked onto Ast, and she conjured a ball of red flame, her aura flaring with hostility.

"Who is this?"

"Stop!" The MC stepped between them.

"This is Beatrix’s mother, Ast. She helped us kill the Succubus Queen."

Sylvia’s shoulders slumped, the fire dissipating as quickly as it had appeared.

The MC gestured toward the horizon.

"Let’s go back to Vanessa. See how things are on her side."

They reached Vanessa’s sector to find the battle already wrapped up.

She stood amidst the debris, chest puffed out with a triumphant, prideful smile.

"Look at that!" she beamed as they approached.

"I took control of two waves of armies and managed to win without a scratch."

The MC walked over and patted her head.

She leaned into his touch, purring with satisfaction.

She leaned in, whispering into his ear,

"Visit me later tonight, darling. I have plans."

The MC cleared his throat, hiding a grin.

"Ahem. I’ll be there."

Sylvia, still clutching Emilia’s hat, walked to the edge of the barrier and shouted to the surviving soldiers,

"We managed to repel the Succubus! The city is safe!"

A deafening cheer erupted, rolling through the streets.

As they made their way back into the city, the MC took a moment to down a high-grade healing potion.

Thanks to the advanced alchemy he’d been stockpiling, the liquid glowed faintly, and he watched in fascination as his flesh knit together, regenerating his missing arm entirely.

Vanessa insisted on hosting a dinner at her home, a celebration for their survival.

It was impossible to refuse.

The table was laden with a roasted turkey, the aroma filling the room and making the MC realize just how starved he truly was.

He fell in love with Vanessa’s cooking after the first bite.

Throughout the meal, Vanessa made sure to keep her seat pressed against his.

Every few minutes, she’d run her hand along his thigh under the table, her eyes dancing with mischief.

She’d lean in, whispering about having "plenty of energy for the night."

His pulse quickened.

The promise of the day felt heavier now, and he found it difficult to focus on the conversation.

When the night finally wound down, Vanessa stood up, clearing her throat to grab everyone’s attention.

She looked at the girls, then at Ast.

"The MC is staying with me tonight."

Ast looked at the MC, then back at Vanessa, her expression amused.

"Let’s address the elephant in the room. You two are going to... well, you know."

Vanessa blushed, caught off guard by the bluntness.

The MC looked at the group, then at Ast, and nodded slowly.

"Yes."

Ast shrugged, a confident grin spreading across her face.

"Alright then. How about we all have one night where we fuck together?"

Beatrix choked on her drink, shouting,

"Mother!"

Ast waved a dismissive hand, silencing her.

"Don’t feel weird, boy. It’s an unspoken rule, when a man beats the Succubus Queen, she needs to serve him. And I intend to fulfill my duty."

The MC looked at her, then down at her body, his intent clear.

The only one who remained silent was Pyra.

She sat frozen, her face flushing crimson.

She had harbored a crush on the MC for weeks, but hearing it spoken so plainly... it was overwhelming.

Yet, as she looked around the room and imagined the others together without her, the thought of being left out, of hearing the sounds through the walls, she realized she couldn’t stand it.

She wouldn’t just watch.

She had to be there.

Ast clapped her hands together, a decisive sound in the quiet room.

"Alright, since we all agree, let’s head to the bedroom."

The MC looked at Vanessa.

"Where are Rim and the others?"

"I sent them to Sylvia’s place for the night," Vanessa replied, her gaze locked on his.

Ast grabbed the MC’s arm, pulling him toward the hallway before looking back at the girls.

"Stop talking. Let’s go. Now."