I am Succubus!

Chapter 290

When Aria and I emerged from the clothing store together, the others jumped into an aggressive stance. Hana, in particular, made a karate pose like she was about to perform martial arts. The only one who didn't react combatively was Elendir, who regarded Aria coming like an old friend joining them for a weekend hang-out.

"Friend or foe? Because I got a mean chop waiting for foes. Hiyah!" Hana chopped the air in front of her.

"Friend," I answered to everyone's relief. "I know it's hard to believe after what's been happening since last night, but Aria really is on our side."

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused. If I had been braver… if I'd made friends with Queen Saeko sooner, then maybe no one would have gotten hurt. Now, because of me… my friends are…" Aria choked up until I patted her on the back.

I continued, "The wayward succubi kidnapped Aria's friends and is holding them hostage so she can't retaliate. We need to rescue them while keeping a low profile. I know it's a longshot, but they sent Aria a picture of her friends inside a warehouse. Anyone know where this might be?"

Aria showed everyone the picture. It hurt her to look at it, but she put on a brave face. Naturally, as I expected, none of us had any idea. The kidnappers had taken a blurry picture, and the only thing we made out in the background were large cardboard boxes stacked onto metal shelving units, reaching as high as the ceiling.

A place that stuffed with packages must be full of employees. Either the succubi had charmed them away, or it was a day off. Wherever this might be, it could very well be anywhere in Tokyo.

"Hey, Saeko. Isn't there a thing with cell phones that tracks friends? Maybe Aria has something like that with her buddies?" Mio suggested.

"We… We do!" Aria's eyes lit up. "Micchi set it up for me when we first got a cell phone, because I was always getting lost in the city. I haven't had a use for it since I got used to Tokyo."

Aria navigated to the built-in app that brought up the GPS location of connected contacts that have it switched on. A dot, presumably Micchi's phone, pinged in the middle of Suginami city.

"Mio, you're a genius!" I exclaimed.

"Hehe. Keep the praise coming!" Mio grinned.

"We have to go save them right now!" Aria launched into the sky, but I grabbed her by the ankle and yanked her right back down. "W-What are you doing? We know where they are!"

"I know you're desperate to save them. I would be, too, if they had my friends. But we have to consider approaching this carefully. The other succubi are scattered. If we save your friends but don't catch every single succubus responsible for this, it's only going to happen again. And who knows what might happen next. I have an idea, and I want you to trust me on this. Please."

Aria fought every ounce of willpower to leave, but she ultimately agreed. I explained to everyone the plan— Mio, Hana, Layla, and Elendir would go rescue Aria's friends. In the meantime, Aria pretended to capture and hand me over to the rogue succubi in exchange for their release.

This was their chance to defeat me, the succubus queen. I had no doubt that they weren't going to hold back and sic every succubus on me.

"B-But how do you know this will work? They know I've been getting close to you," Aria said.

"Because they're desperate, too. Realistically, they know this isn't a battle they can win. It's why they're playing dirty. They realize you love your friends. It's why they took them hostage. We'll use that against them. Besides, capturing the succubus queen is too good a bait to let up," I explained.

"Let me cast defensive magic on you just in case." Elendir weaved glowing sigils in the air with her fingers until I stopped her.

"No." I shook my head. "They might suspect something. I have to go as is. I'll be fine. Selene took a beating for me. I have to at least be willing to do the same."

The four flew off to find Aria's friends in Suginami. That left me and Aria with a mission of our own. She lifted a worried gaze that met mine. Doubt washed over her. 

"Alright, Aria. It's your move now. You have to call Erika and the rest of them," I said.

Aria nodded and made the call. We waited with bated breath as her phone rang several times. I almost thought Erika wasn't going to answer.

"Aria?" Erika spoke up with a hint of disdain. "We're a little bit busy. Can it wait?"

"It can't. I… I want you to release my friends. In exchange for me leading Saeko alone into a trap. She thinks she can trust me…" Aria explained in a shaky voice.

"Huh. What a nice change of heart. But what makes you think we can trust you?"

"I just want my friends back!" she shouted into the phone.

The call went quiet for a little bit. Until…

"Your auras. You keep them open so we can detect them. Any funny business, any succubus from Saeko's side, and you say goodbye to your friends. Now, be a good girl and lure her to Nishitoyama Park. We'll take care of it from there," Erika said before hanging up.

"That's the baseball park. I know where that is. Let's hurry," I insisted.

We wasted no time flying to the park. It was a fairly large grassy field, with trees surrounding the entire park that created a sort of privacy barrier from the street. Since it was fall, most of the trees were beginning to lose their leaves. In another month or two, they would be completely barren.

With our auras at full blast to make sure they knew we were coming, I felt the sensation of almost a hundred succubi. They dotted the baseball field like players ready for a match. Not a single one made any attempts to hide either.

As we landed, their stares burned into me in particular. Erika walked forward with caution in each step, likely trying to discern if this was actually a trap.

"Aria, what's going on? I thought you wanted to talk?" I turned around and put on my best acting voice.

"Here. I brought Saeko. You'll let my friends go, won't you?" Aria asked nervously.

"Yeah, sure. After we've grinded the queen to the ground. In the meantime, you stay right there. Once this is over, we'll release them," Erika said.

Although there were a hundred of them, only a few brave dozen approached. They circled me like wild animals waiting for the right moment to pounce. 

"You may be a greater succubus, but you can't take us all on. We also know you don't have the Blade of the First Temptress either. That shaves how strong you are by… I don't know. A whole lot. Now, girls. Time to commit regicide! Get her!" Erika ordered.

All of them pounced at once. Like a pack of wolves, but with wings, they lunged at me with the intent to kill. The first threw a wide hook and missed. I twisted her arm, using the momentum to fling her into the ground. A second grabbed me from behind, and a third laid into me with a flurry of punches. I kicked off the ground and kicked her in the face, then headbutted the one behind me.

There were too many. I had to put some distance. When I spread my wings to fly, a group of them dogpiled me from above. We tumbled back to the hard ground as a writhing mound of punching and kicking. A sucker punch to the gut, an uppercut from below, and point-black magical blasts to my face.

I fought back as best I could. Nearly depleted my sexual energy doing so. But they were right. Beating them all just wasn't feasible. Before I knew it, they forced me onto my knees, and I could only see out of my left eye. The wailing must have lasted for an hour. I didn't keep track. I did see Aria avert her gaze. Whether she was ashamed of putting me in this situation or something else, I only hoped she knew that this was my choice.

"Well, well, well. So, the queen falls. Selene lasted a lot longer than you," Erika said, slowly walking up to me and clearly enjoying making a show out of it.

"Why are you so against solving this peacefully? I was willing to let you rule yourselves autonomously. I offered you employment! In this economy!" I exclaimed.

"You're still going on about that?" she growled. "How naive. Queen Beatrice used to sweet talk us all the time. In the end, we were just her little pawns. You're no different. And if you aren't now, you will be eventually. We won't go back to serving. Never!"

My phone started ringing. Everyone tensed up, and their eyes fell down to my pants pocket.

"I'd like to answer that. Or, you can answer it for me," I said and spat out some blood.

"Hmph." Erika plucked out my phone and put it on speaker. "Whoever you are, it's over. We have your queen. Don't even think about trying anything."

"Awww, man! You hear that, Hana? You won the bet," Mio said disappointedly from the other end.

"Whooooo! You owe me some deluxe parfait tomorrow!" Hana cheered in the background.

The succubi exchanged glances all confused, especially Erika, who was peeved that they weren't more bothered by my defeat. Meanwhile… I shook my head at the two of them making a bet out of my predicament…

Erika erupted angrily, "Do you cunts know what situation your queen is in?"

"Hey, bitch. Put my girl on the line," Mio demanded.

Taken aback, Erika lowered the phone down to me.

"It's me," I announced aloud. "I have something to say about your bet later, but how's it going on your end?"

"We cleared. Layla and Elendir came in clutch. They gave the cunts a thrashing. Oh, and Aria's friends? We saved them and kicked their kidnappers' asses to next Sunday," Mio explained, much to the others' utter surprise.

"What?! That's not possible!" Erika cried.

"Aria!" Micchi's cheery voice came through loud and clear. "We're okay. It sounds like you've had it rough, too. Let's go out for drinks after this. I bet you have a lot to get off your chest. I'll lend you an ear for as long as you need, 'kay?"

Aria choked down a sharp breath. She pressed both hands to her mouth and dropped to her knees, overwhelmed with relief. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she couldn't wipe enough of them. They just kept coming.

"Thank goodness… I'm so glad…" Aria choked up.

Infuriated, Erika threw my phone into the ground and stomped on it. I winced at the sight of my cell in pieces. She grinded it underneath her sole until Selene's aura entered the picture. Everyone felt it, and no one could mistake that powerful sensation for anything else.

Selene descended slowly from the skies, arms folded and eyes blazing like an inferno. The other succubi backed away when she landed. They made a wide berth around her. Their auras trembled and shrunk. She didn't have to come, but I should have guessed this would happen anyway.

When the tears had finally stopped, Aria stepped forward bravely. Erika and them no longer had any leverage over her anymore, and she had no reason to listen to their demands either. The overlapping auras from three greater succubi practically crushed everyone else. They were so terrified, some of them might have pissed themselves had Layla also been here.

"How about a real fight?" Selene asked, cracking both of her knuckles.

"S-Stay back! We have your queen hostage!" Erika pointed a small fireball at me that was on the verge of sputtering out in her hand.

I elbowed one succubus and headbutted the other. They recoiled, staggering back away from me. Erika was about to fire her spell until I twisted her arm and snuffed it out. The rest were too terrified to try anything or even flee.

"It's over, Erika. This is your loss," I said.

"Kuh…" Erika squeezed her eyes shut, and the tension of any resistance subsided.

"What now? Giving me a beating, I can forgive. But they hurt you so bad, I don't think I can look Hatsumi in the eyes without paying them back." Selene looked down on Erika so full of disgust.

I shook my head. "No more fighting. That's not what I wanted to begin with. We're sending them back to Elza when Shayle's mirror artifact is charged up again."

Erika's demeanor wrinkled with surprise.

"Just when I thought I could get a glimpse of Beatrice in you, you prove to be too naive and merciful. But I suppose that's what makes you better than her." Selene grinned.

"If only Beatrice was still inhabiting my mind to hear that," I teased back.

She spun around and shouted, "You hear that? You get to live by Queen Saeko's mercy. But you even think about running, then you forfeit that mercy."

When Mio and the others came back, they weren't alone. Micchi had come with them. Mio carried her all the way here. I had to shake Aria back to her senses, and when she saw Micchi, the two of them tackled each other with a hug and cried it out a second time.

"We put the rest on a taxi home. This chick wanted to see Aria no matter what. Who am I to say no to a cute babe? You took a beating. You okay?" Mio threw an arm around my shoulders and poked my cheek with her other hand, causing me to wince.

"I'm—" My stomach growled loudly. "I think I need to go on a hunt soon… ugh…"