“So… you became one of the Four Heavenly Kings by accident, but you actually don’t know anything at all?”
The Holy Sword that had been drawn with the intention of striking Lilith was returned to its scabbard at his waist. Nevertheless, he still held a whip in one hand, ready to swing it at the slightest hint of deceit or hesitation from her.
Lilith remained kneeling before him, nodding her head vigorously enough to make him dizzy just watching.
Although Lilith seemed peaceful enough now, not showing any signs of lying, as he absently swung the whip through the air,
“Hyaakk?!”
The sharp crack of the whip slicing through the air reverberated around the enclosed room. Lilith, who had continued nodding her head, jumped in surprise and cringed.
Why was she so terrified even though I hadn’t struck her once? Moreover, since she always acted so pitiful and submissive, my resolve softened, and I had even lessened the strength of my whip strikes to a normal human level to cause less pain. Since her body was optimized for seduction, her ample posterior made it easier to target, and she eventually seemed to realize that being hit there hurt less, so she would subtly present her bottom.
After many strikes, the marks of the whip were clearly visible in bright red on Lilith’s backside, but they were nothing more than an exaggeration on her part. Even if her strength was weak, Lilith was undoubtedly a high-ranking Demon of the Succubus race. It was absurd to think that a whip, swung with the strength of an ordinary person, could leave a mark. All of this was a ruse to evoke sympathy. When I struck her a little harder out of irritation at her trickery, her startled reaction was so cute that it was almost endearing.
No, this isn’t right.
“Do you expect me to believe that?”
“B-but it’s true! Can’t you see the purity in my eyes? Does it look like I’m lying to you, sis?”
As if I would trust the purity of a succubus when there’s nothing else to believe in.
“And stop with the ‘sis’ stuff. Who said I’m your sis? You clearly look older than me.”
I may be physically fully grown, but I’m still 19, and there’s a hint of youth left in my face. On the other hand, Lilith, kneeling before me, has the appearance of a fully mature adult woman. Even though I don’t usually worry about age, hearing her call me ‘sis’ was something I couldn’t ignore.
Ah, does she call me ‘sis’ because she thinks I’m stronger? It’s common for people to refer to those who are stronger or richer as ‘bro’ or ‘sis.’ Just like me, I revered our Boss at the Academy and referred to her as ‘Master.’ That makes sense.
“That… Even though you look like this, you’re actually very young, right?”
She looked around nervously, as if checking if anyone might overhear in the empty sealed room, then stood up without my permission and whispered quietly by my ear.
“…What? Do you expect me to believe that?”
“It’s true! Succubi may seem older due to their natural traits, but it’s really true!”
“There’s no way someone who’s only been alive for a few years can become a Succubus Queen by simply absorbing qi, right? You’re the Queen of the Succubi, aren’t you?”
While I may not know much about the Demon ecosystem, I do know that Succubi grow stronger by absorbing the qi of others. Climbing to the top among countless Succubi isn’t something a teenager could achieve.
“Ah, it’s all about the bloodline! Humans are the same, right? Just as we inherit our appearance from our parents, we Succubi inherit traits from our mothers. Since my mom was the Succubus Queen, inheriting her traits naturally allowed me to become the Queen too! Nothing out of the ordinary!”
“If that’s the case, shouldn’t your mom have been the Succubus Queen after absorbing so much qi?”
Succubi don’t age or grow old from having children. So, it’s impossible for a young girl like Lilith to have become the Queen. Yet, she undeniably held the title of Succubus Queen.
“She… Mom said that even after reviewing our family tree, including grandma, great-grandma, and beyond, I possess the most outstanding qualities of all the past queens… Just my existence is the peak of all Succubi! Oh, and by the way, I’ve never even absorbed qi from anyone! Please stop misunderstanding!”
“Then what about your followers in the Demon King’s Army?”
Regardless of anything else, the fact that she is one of the Four Heavenly Kings is undeniable. Given her weak physical abilities, there’s no way she could have risen to the rank of one of the Four Heavenly Kings without using the Succubi’s ability to enchant people, amassing a horde of followers.
“…It’s just that as I walk around on the streets, they come to me unconsciously? Over time, stalkers started calling me part of the Four Heavenly Kings and hyping me up, so I fled here to hide.”
…This one undoubtedly deserves to be exterminated for the sake of world peace. If her claim is true, a succubus who hasn’t absorbed any qi but can still seduce demons simply by walking around, will threaten the continent in the future if she grows stronger by absorbing the qi of many people, surpassing even the current Demon King.
“Then who is more powerful than you that you call ‘sis’?”
Swish.
“S-sorry! Please, I’ll willingly accept the whip, so please put that scary sword back!”
When I firmly resolved to draw the Holy Sword half out, Lilith quickly adopted a fawning attitude, pleading profusely.
If she used deceitful tactics like other demons, I wouldn’t hesitate to cut her down, but she was so excessively submissive that she almost seemed like the victim, making me feel like the bad guy.
“Sigh. Let’s stop this.”
After much deliberation, I decided against killing her and slid the half-drawn Holy Sword back into its scabbard.
However, she seemed to misunderstand my heavy sigh, becoming even more submissive and clinging to me with a more servile voice.
“It’s my fault! Please punish this unworthy succubus! Whip my body to your heart’s content with that whip—I have no redeeming qualities apart from my immorality!”
“That’s not…”
Before I could clarify her misunderstanding, she interrupted me, begging earnestly.
“If you find the ‘sis’ title bothersome, I’ll call you something different! M-mistress, how does that sound? Yes! I am Mistress’s slave!”
“Hey, hey! Don’t go pulling my pants down…”
“So please punish Mistress’s slave with that whip!”
“I’m telling you, I’m letting you live! I won’t kill you!”
“Don’t lie! You’re going to cut me down as soon as I let go!”
This girl. She’s not even listening to a word I say. Sure, it’s urgent with life on the line, but she even refuses to trust my sincere decision to let her live.
“I won’t trust you until you beat me thoroughly with that whip!”
If I were to follow her logic, I could whip her to submission before killing her, so why would she trust me after that?
Her argument is entirely without reason, but what else can I do when she insists? I’m almost at the point where she might pull my pants off.
“Fine! Fine!”
In the end, I raised my whip and lightly tapped her back and rear, just like before, pulling all my strength.
But, dissatisfied with something again, she grabbed my pants and started shouting.
“You’re not being sincere! Please whip me harder! Harder!”
What, after making such a fuss before about how it hurt, now she’s complaining about it being too soft?
“Sigh… You said so, so no complaints! I clearly said I won’t kill you, and you’re the one asking me to whip harder?”
“Yes! Mistress!”
Enough with calling me ‘mistress’ already.
Judging by her gleaming eyes, she might truly believe she’s younger than me. She’s gripping my pants and looking up with a wild glimmer, making her claim of being younger somewhat plausible.
Trying to pry her off, I raised the whip in my hand and swung it toward her a little harder than before—or at least I tried.
Bang!
“What?”
Before I could swing the whip, a sound that didn’t match the whip’s crack resonated in the room. Immediately, a swirl of dust enveloped me, still holding the whip aloft, and Lilith clinging to my ankles.
Amidst the swirling dust, I turned my head toward the source of the deafening sound.
One of the walls in the sealed room had collapsed, letting the wind flow in, and three figures stood in the shadows beyond it.
Even though their faces were obscured by the dust, I could easily identify them as Luna, Lindy, and Presia from afar. It seems they’ve made their way to the innermost sanctum of the abode, worrying about me possibly falling into a trap.
As the dust settled, their faces came into view.
Moments later, a small orb of magical energy appeared above Presia. That’s when I realized my current situation:
I was trapped in a trap, facing what was clearly an enemy succubus, and we were in the heart of the Four Heavenly Kings’ stronghold.
It’s understandable that Presia would assume I was in danger and that she needed to act quickly to rescue me. But hadn’t I already promised Lilith I would spare her life? Whether my other companions would understand my choice or not, I had to try to explain.
“Boss, wait…!”
However, before I could stop her, Presia’s magic orb had already left her hand.
The magic orb, rapidly approaching—instead of targeting Lilith, it was heading right toward me… more specifically, directly toward my buttocks.
“…What?”
Hold on! Did she misaim the shot?
Smack!
