"Saeko, are you sure about this?" Hatsumi asked worriedly.
"No… definitely not, but Mio wasn't exactly giving a choice," I said.
My sister glanced back at the two combatants and sighed, particularly at our mother, whose succubus form was a troubling sight to her.
"I still can't believe our mom used to be a succubus. It puts a lot into perspective though, but it hasn't changed how I feel about her. If she loses, I won't shed a tear. Mio, however… isn't there too big of a difference between them?" she asked.
"Yeah…"
There was no foreseeable outco that Mio erged as the victor.
We brought them deep into the forests to do battle. My scouting succubi assured that there weren't any humans this far out. Yumi and Hana were giving Mio a pep talk, and Delilah stood alone with both arms folded and eyes shut in thought. Whatever was on her mind was a mystery to us. When I had brought it up to her what Mio wanted, she didn't hesitate to accept the challenge.
One thing was for sure. Delilah once served as an assassin. A lethal one at that. She was also a greater succubus. Mio, though she had a little more firepower than a regular succubus, stood almost no chance.
Did Mio actually ask for this fight believing she would win? Just what was the point of this?
For whatever reason, Layla and Selene guarded closely. It was instincts, they said. I was 100% sure Selene just wanted to be near Hatsumi, and Layla was in a post-coitus high around .
"This fight will be a no holds barred," Yumi began as she walked to the space between Mio and Delilah. "Anything goes. The only rule is that you may not take the life of the other. You may fight until the other surrenders, or until they can no longer fight. Is that understood?"
"Yeah," Mio said, cracking her neck.
Delilah nodded. Her eyes snapped open and arms fell to the side.
Yumi glanced at as though asking if I wanted to let this happen. I didn't say a thing, and only held her gaze, so she flew up to let them begin.
"Eat shit, bitch!" Mio kicked off the match by firing a volley of magic orbs.
They exploded on impact, engulfing Delilah in a cloud of smoke and dirt. My knee jerk reaction cheered Mio's direct hit. The trees behind her had parts of their trunk blown into bark. It was Delilah who blew away the dust with a wave of a hand, and she was mostly unhurt by the spells.
Mio clicked her tongue, leapt into flight and pressed her hands together. As she parted them, a crackling ball of black energy continued to grow until it was the size of a giant beach ball. She sent the destructive spell screeching towards Delilah, but the greater succubus scratched the space in front of herself to open a portal to consu it, promptly closed it shut, and waited for the next.
Ticked off, Mio unleashed an anguished wail and launched herself at Delilah. She threw a punch that the other caught in her palm, twisted, and was sent crashing into a tree. That didn't stop her. Mio continued to throw herself at Delilah, whose actions were to play on the defensive. She made it look like child's play.
"You think you're doing a favor by not fighting? Fuck you! Fight back, damn it!" Mio scread.
Hatsumi inched forward, almost like she wanted to jump in to comfort her. anwhile, my heart ached with every grunt and missed or blocked hit from Mio. I'd never seen her in such pain before. Not even when facing Beatrice.
"Very well," Delilah said, casting a look before driving a fist into Mio that hamred her into the ground.
I tensed up right away and clenched both fists. Delilah wrenched Mio from the earth and threw her square across the clearing until she hit a tree, then fired a spell from her palm that annihilated the tree into splinters. Only Mio and the trunk she sat up against remained, but she climbed defiantly to her feet.
"This is no contest of strength," Selene glowered.
"Q-Queen Saeko, Mio might get seriously hurt if she keeps fighting!" Layla warned.
"I know that, but…" I gritted my teeth to keep from jumping in there.
If I intervened, Mio was going to leave. Of course, I wanted her to win, but she was going to lose at this rate and disappear from my life anyway.
Delilah made her way to Mio slowly and gathered magic at both palms of her hands. Mio didn't bother moving anymore. She waited for the final attack with fangs bared. When Delilah raised one palm to fire, I summoned the Blade of the First Temptress to shoot a spell and deflect it.
All eyes fell to .
"What are you… doing? I told you… not to get in the way," Mio groaned, peering at through one eye because the other was swollen shut.
"Shut up! How the hell can you expect to sit by and let you get hurt? I'd never forgive myself. Kana would never forgive . If you're going to leave anyway, I'm not letting your last mory of be so little scaredy-cat who just watched you get beaten up. I want you to at least know that I'll always choose you."
"So am I to assu that this battle is over?" Delilah asked, snuffing out the spell in her other hand.
"No." I shook my head. "Now it's our turn to fight."
"Then end it. You can change back into a human. This fight need not happen—"
Magic sparked along the tip of the sword again and blasted Delilah away. She unfurled her wings to bring herself to a stop against the montum, shock written on her face that I would do such a thing.
"Saeko… I don't want to fight you," Delilah said.
"But I do!"
I flew in and swung my sword at her, but the attack was t with Delilah's claws. She tried to back away with it in her grasp, so I let go of the handle and drove a right hook into her. The punch, too, was blocked by another hand. With my free hand, I conjured a magical explosion that blasted her through several trees, then resummoned my sword when it had fallen away earlier.
While Delilah was struggling to get back to her feet, I commanded the sexual energy gained from my fourso the other day to the tip of the sword, molding it into a destructive force. She faced unflinchingly, feet planted firmly on the ground.
"Saeko, if you keep using that sword's powers—"
"I know already! But right now, all I want to do is hurt you like you did all these years. Like you did to Mio! So if you want to be my mom again, then you better believe that we're going to be fighting like family!" I shouted.
As I fired the spell, Delilah scratched the space in front of her again, but a portal didn't open up this ti. Seeing that, her shoulders slackened and sighed. A massive explosion engulfed her, blowing away leaves from their branches and loose debris from the ground in the imdiate area.
When the dust cleared, Delilah was badly hurt and lying in a small crater.
"I wonder why…" Delilah began, wincing as she clutched the side of her abdon. "This… isn't so bad…"
She promptly passed out.
Using the remaining sexual energy in the Blade, I transford Delilah back to a human woman.
"Selene, Layla. Make sure my mom and Hatsumi get ho safely," I ordered.
"It shall be done." Selene bowed.
"As you wish, my queen!" Layla rushed to pick Delilah out of the hole.
"Saeko." Hatsumi showed up in front of and wrapped both arms around my back. "I'm proud of you for standing up to her when I never could have. It's just too bad you're no longer the cute little baby that used to hold my hand anymore."
"Okay, okay… I get it. Co on, sis. You need to get ho, and we need to clean up before soone wanders into the forest," I said.
Hatsumi pinched on the cheek, then went to kneel down next to Mio. My sister whispered sothing into her ear, smiled, and licked a thumb to wipe the smudge from her cheek. Mio turned red and pursed her lips.
Before I could ask what Hatsumi had said to her, she grabbed onto Selene's arm and, together with Layla who held my mom, flew past the canopy towards ho.
Yumi and Hana were tending to Mio as I approached them. They parted ways after lifting Mio to her feet. My heart began to sink as I gazed upon my first love. Just the thought that she would be gone forever tore into the depths of my chest.
"Sorry… for barging in, Mio… I just couldn't stand to see you getting hurt. I guess this is… goodbye?" I asked as my eyes started getting hot from tears.
Mio turned away from and started walking away. I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to chase after her.
"I said I'd leave if I lost, didn't I?" Mio reminded .
"Does that an…?"
"I'm hogging Kana for the night. Find soone else to fuck," she said and took flight without turning back.
An overwhelming sense of relief brought to my knees. Hana went after Mio, and Yumi lingered behind to stay with .
"Would you like a hug?" Yumi knelt down next to with her arms wide open.
"Thanks." I let myself drop into Yumi's hold, and she dragged her fingers down my scalp and hair.
"There, there. You've had it rough these past few months, haven't you? Things will co around. Shall I carry you back ho?" she asked.
"C-Can you stay with for just tonight? I don't want to be alone…"
"Ara ara~ Of course, I'll stay with you for as long as you like."
I woke up naked the next morning, tucked in the embrace of an also naked Yumi and face smothered between her enormous breasts. Our tails and legs were entangled, and my face went red up to my ears from recalling what happened last night.
In trying to peel away, Yumi awakened and held tighter to keep from leaving.
"We didn't have s-s-s-sex last night, did we?" I stamred.
"Ufufu~ We may not have, but I found out you have quite the mom-complex." Yumi giggled and stroked the back of my head. "Is my little girl feeling better? Should I continue cradling you? Or would you like to be breastfed again?"
"Aaaaahhhhh! Stop! Keep this a secret between us, I beg you."
We got out of bed and changed into our clothes.
It was early in the morning, and I had to get to Mikami's place soon. Today was the day we were going to visit my house to exorcise my father.
"If Taleia finds out, she's probably going to try and kill again." I sighed.
"A Does that an we shouldn't do this again?" Yumi pouted.
The matronly succubus tempted my very soul. It took every fiber of my succubus being to fight against letting my guard down.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're too dangerous to be around…?"
"Mio could have left anyti without telling you. I think she will co around." Yumi smiled and patted my head assuringly.
After declining Yumi's offer to cook breakfast, bathe, pamper, and feed , I managed to convince her that I would be fine on my own now. She departed to head back ho. anwhile, I freshened up to go to the nagerie.
There was no one inside the story as usual. Mikami had her back facing the door when I ca in, hunched over, and slurping on what sounded like noodles.
"Mikami, are you eating instant ran?" I asked, causing her to choke and cough, then turned around to confirm my suspicions.
"I ran out of groceries, and this is all I have on hand!" Mikami sobbed.
"Hey, I don't bla you! I was like that for a while when I first moved out. Then my sodium intake spiked, and I saw a short life ahead of ."
"That's not nice. I could have done without being reminded about my health while in my mid-20s! Anyway, you ready to go?" She gulped down a mouthful of noodles, then pushed the rest of the container away in sadness.
We gathered so supplies like incense sticks, talismans, and her usual arsenal from whatever was in that briefcase of hers. For so reason she insisted on buying a gift of mochi first. As our ride turned into the neighborhood I grew up in, her eyes went wide with envy.
On the other hand, all the hosickness I'd bottled up was building up again.
"Wow! Talk about high class. I had a feeling you were a rich kid when I saw your old man," Mikami said.
"My family isn't… that…" I trailed off, recalling what my dad ntioned about how much he and mom had earned.
"That what? So you really are rolling in dough!"
Ignoring Mikami, I walked ahead and searched my pockets for the key.
Panic washed over . I couldn't find it. My key was gone. I thought for sure I brought it with before we left—
"Hm? What are you looking for? Just ring the doorbell," Mikami said, snapping back to my senses.
"Right… I left the key behind when I moved out," I mumbled to myself and pressed the buzzer.
The door swung open, and Hatsumi tackled right away with the biggest bear hug possible.
"Welco ho, Saeko! I thought I'd never get to say those words again. Oh, I've missed seeing you! You must miss too, right?" Hatsumi asked, pressing my head deeper into her chest.
"We literally saw each other the other day! I can't breathe if you keep— I didn't co alone!" I yelled at my last breath.
Finally, Hatsumi let go and took notice of Mikami behind .
"Hello! You must be Saeko's mother? I'm Mikami. Saeko and I are coworkers. It's a pleasure to et you." Mikami bowed, extending the box of mochi to her.
"Oh! I'm actually Saeko's older sister, but I might as well be her mother. I practically raised her since she was a baby after all," Hatsumi said with a giggle and accepted the mochi anyway.
"So, uh… How's mom?" I hesitantly asked.
"Mom hasn't said a word since yesterday," she whispered, then stepped aside to let us in. "No sense in keeping you two outside. Co on in!"
Even more so than my apartnt, Mikami eyeballed everything in my parents' house like it was a museum. The bathroom door was wide open as we passed it, likely because Hatsumi was in the middle of laundry judging by the folded clothes and basket.
"You guys have a tub! All I have is a shower that shoots lukewarm water!" Mikami complained.
I dragged her away from the bathroom and followed Hatsumi into the living room.
Delilah— My mother was lying down on the couch with a cold pack pressed to her head. The bruises from our fight were still fresh, and she hadn't made any effort to hide them with makeup.
"Saeko." She nodded to from the couch.
"Hey, mom…." I avoided looking her in the eyes, leaving Mikami confused.
"Did we… co at a bad ti?" Mikami asked.
"It's nothing." Delilah sat up to face us. "Mikami, I heard from Hatsumi and my husband that Saeko works with you. Thank you for seeing to my… daughter's wellness."
"N-No! Thank you— wait, why am I saying thanks?" she stamred.
My mother turned to . "Saeko, I doubt you ca ho to apologize or to tell you want to move back in. Is there a reason for your visit?"
"We're here to exorcise Dad. Whether you believe or not, there's a ghost haunting him. Is he here?" I asked.
She scoffed at the notion. "Ghosts? Don't be ridiculous. You're here to gloat, aren't you? Well, you're here. So out with it."
"Wow, okay. You want to make this about you? Why don't you co out and say whatever's on your mind? Or maybe you're afraid to now after what happened yesterday—"
An unnatural shriek erupted from upstairs that made my blood go cold. The four of us traded uneasy glances, then raced upstairs. As we bursted into my parents' room, Dad was lying on the floor and writhing while clutching his stomach.
My mother pushed past us.
"Honey? What's wrong?" she asked, kneeling down as worry wrinkled on her face.
"Chihiro… Saeko? I don't know… I thought it was indigestion, but… It's like sothing is ripping out of my stomach," he groaned.
She couldn't see it. Hatsumi couldn't either. Mikami and I saw it clearly. Two ghostly hands were protruding from my father's stomach, like it was trying to crawl out of a hole.
"I'm calling an ambulance." Delilah reached shakily for her phone.
"There's nothing an ambulance can do. You have to let and Mikami work!" I exclaid.
"Saeko, now isn't the ti to screw around!" she scread, startling and Hatsumi.
It was the first ti I'd ever seen her so panicked.
"Mrs. Ito, please trust us. I know the occult sounds silly to you, but succubi are real, right? Find it in your heart to believe that ghosts can be real, too, and one is hurting your husband right now," Mikami insisted.
My mother looked in the eyes as though searching for any signs of foul play. She eventually relented, albeit struggling to let go of him.
I took that as her agreeing. We didn't spare another second. Mikami pulled out a container of salt to form a circle around my father.
"Grab the cross and prepare to light a fire," Mikami said.
"But there's no candles?" I asked, procuring the wooden cross and searching blindly for the candles.
"Not the candles. The salt!" Mikami finished making the circle of salt and stood over my father while rubbing her hands together. "Now!"
While holding the cross up, I casted a fire spell to ignite the salt. Hatsumi and Delilah backed away from the flas, but Mikami braved the licking fires. She reached down to grab the ghostly hands and pulled.
"Get out of there, you stupid Arican ghost. This isn't your body to possess!" Mikami growled.
The lamp on the nightstand shattered, cutting Mikami across the arms, and a few glass shards embedded into the mask.
One more hard yank and Mikami dragged a white humanoid ghost right out of my father. It unleashed a banshee shriek before disintegrating. The fires went out, and the cross in my hand cracked.
"Whew! Maybe I could find work in the States." Mikami brushed the sweat from her brow and clapped her hands.
My mother tearfully lifted my father into her arms and breathed a sigh of relief. I'd never seen them show so much emotion before. At least I knew for sure their love was real.
Mikami bumped my waist, causing to stagger right up to my parents.
"Occult services, huh?" Dad grinned and extended a hand to .
I almost didn't take it, and when I did, he pulled into his arm and rubbed his knuckles into my head.
We cleaned up the room and had to leave since there were other clients to see. Although my parents were still spooked, they both looked much lighter and less tense than before. Hatsumi was upstairs, looking after our father so it was my mother who ca to see us off.
"Thank you," Delilah said.
"No problem! If you ever need an exorcism, just give the nagerie a call!" Mikami handed her a card.
As we left, I glanced over my shoulder. The stone cold expression that was usually on my mother's face, her lips curled slightly into a smile and nodded in my direction.
After a whole day of exorcising, I still couldn't get my parents out of my mind. I wondered if it was worth forgiving them. If today was any indication…
But there was also Mio…
I landed in front of my apartnt at the end of the day and was confused to see the lights bleeding through the window. Odd. I didn't leave the lights on when I left this morning. Pressing my ear to the door, I heard chatter from inside. I also felt a very familiar aura.
When I opened the door, Kana and Mio were inside having dinner. There was a hot pot between them, and a variety of dishes around them. The sll was heavenly.
"Welco ho, Saeko!" Kana bead.
"What's… going on?" I asked, throwing glances at Mio.
It took Kana to give Mio a push for her to finally stand up and clear her throat.
"Look, I still hate your mom's guts. Still haven't forgiven you, but… I don't want to leave anymore. Getting my shit kicked in, I didn't even know what I was thinking, man. Then I watched you kick Delilah, your own mom's ass, and I thought… shit. That's hot as fuck. It's gonna take ti getting used to who she is to you, but realize I love you and Kana more than I hate her. So… yeah…"
"Is it really… okay?" I asked, slowly coming in and afraid that them being here was an illusion.
"I swear to… Just get in here and eat with us already! I read sowhere that make up sex is the best kind of sex. So if your ass is really sorry, then eat up and get ready to pleasure all night. I say that's a start," Mio said.
Unable to control my emotions with tears running down my cheeks, I ran into the room and threw my arms over Mio. I didn't care if she wasn't ready yet. I was so scared that she was going to leave , that if I let go right now she might actually disappear.
"Aw, geez. How many tis do I gotta tell you I ain't good with sappy stuff?" Mio sighed and put her arms around .
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