by Eric Vall
“And the other three are against you,” the yellow demon finished the thought. “So, Jacob Ralston, King of the Fourth Circle, why should I join you? Your accomplishments are very nice, but what’s in it for Mammon and the Second Circle?”
“Jacob has already proved himself to be a loyal ally,” Asmodeus explained. “He has kept up his end of the deal and has been a great trade partner for the First Circle. King Ralston has also graciously offered to share his weaponry with us, as well as pledged to come to our defense should we ever be attacked.”
“That’s nice and all,” Mammon shrugged, slurped down another crab leg, and tossed it into the growing pile behind him, “but you must understand the combined forces of Beelzebub, Gressil, and Baphomet are a force to be reckoned with. I don’t see much benefit in publicly announcing that I’m allied with their mortal enemy. It would benefit me and my people to remain completely neutral, would it not?”
“Neutral?” I scoffed. “This is war, Mammon. There is no such thing as ‘neutral.’”
“Sure there is,” the fat demon laughed, “I don’t have to pick a side. What’s stopping me from just sitting back, watching you lot destroy each other, and then swooping in to snatch up the scraps?”
“You’ll be part of those scraps,” I said bluntly.
The room went silent with tension as Mammon nearly choked on his crab leg. He stared me down with his deep red eyes, and his face contorted into a scowl.
“What are you getting at, King Ralston?” he growled.
“Well, look at it this way,” I explained, “Beelzebub and his friends want to kill me and take over my kingdom, right?”
“Go on,” Mammon sneered.
“Say that happens,” I continued to paint the grim picture. “Say the Fourth Circle falls, and Beelzebub is victorious. Then what?”
“He’ll come after me,” Asmodeus interjected. “I have made it no secret that King Ralston and I are allied.”
“Precisely,” I tried to connect the dots for the demon. “Now, geography was never my greatest subject, but what, may I ask, lies between the Fourth and First Circles?”
“I understand what you’re implying,” Mammon mused, “but I’m not buying it. So what if they have to go through my domain to get to Asmodeus’? If I’m a neutral party, then they should be able to pass through without incident.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong,” I corrected him. “But I mean, hey, if that’s the path you wanna go down, it’ll be your funeral.”
Mammon’s lips were now pursed into a frown that showed off his yellow, pointed teeth.
“How so?” he asked through his grimace.
“If Beelzebub and his allies conquer the Fourth and First Circles, they will have control over five of the nine Circles,” I tried to lead the demon on. “Don’t you think by this point, they’ll be a little power hungry? Now, what happens when a band of power-hungry demons marches through a so-called ‘neutral territory’ after they’ve just taken out the biggest threat to their existence?”
“So, you’re suggesting they’ll want to take it all,” the yellow demon pondered my words.
“I’m not suggesting it,” I corrected him. “I know that is exactly what will happen.”
“You must understand, Jacob Ralston,” Mammon argued, “the Second Circle is not of much strategic value. I do not have many Demon Lords, and my own Shades are useless thanks to the nature of my Circle.”
“Oh yeah,” Todd sighed. “I totally thought I was gonna get my Bob Marley album there.”
“Then that’s all the more reason to join our alliance,” I suggested. “If Beelzebub thinks you’re not a threat, then he won’t hesitate to crush you under his clawed foot. And that is a fact.”
Mammon rubbed his double chin as he thought about my theory. After a minute or two, he began to nod slowly.
“That makes sense,” he agreed, “but why wouldn’t I just join up with your enemies, then? Wouldn’t they offer me more protection?”
“They won’t want you,” Asmodeus interjected, which drew a dirty look from the yellow demon. “They certainly didn’t want me.”
Hold on … Asmodeus went to Beelzebub first? That was something I was completely in the dark about.
“I beg your pardon?” I retorted, probably a bit more angrily than I should have.
Asmodeus bowed his head in shame and nodded.
“I’m sorry, Jacob,” he explained, “but I had the same reservations Mammon does. When I went to talk to Beelzebub about a potential alliance, do you know what he did? He laughed in my face. He told me the First Circle was the most inferior of them all, and he’d simply crush me like a bug if I tried to set foot in his turf ever again. But Jacob isn’t like that. Just as he does his succubi and Shades, Jacob Ralston treated me as an equal. He actually wanted my help, and he wanted to legitimately help me.”
“Wow,” I mused. “I had no idea you felt that way, Asmodeus.”
“Brrrrroooooo,” Todd whispered, “I feel like you better have a ‘no homo’ in the chamber somewhere. This is going down a slippery slope quickly.”
“You are my ally, King Ralston,” the flamboyant demon admitted. “Even though I didn’t believe in you at first, I believe in you now. And I’ll believe in you all the way up until this war is resolved, however that may be.”
Mammon gave a thoughtful nod, and then he sucked down another crab leg.
“I’ll consider your offer,” he conceded. “However, I need to think it over. Preferably over a few more plates of these crab legs.”
“That can be arranged.” I grinned with relief. “Shades, bring our guest some more food.”
I watched the yellow demon of Greed scarf down four more platters worth of crab legs, all while the table chatted about lively topics. We shared battle stories, told dirty jokes, and even joined together in a few songs.
It looked like Mammon was on the cusp of becoming the third member of this alliance.
That’s when I saw him.
There, just beyond the door of the dining hall, stood a man in a red suit, with piercing eyes and slicked-back black hair. He was smiling devilishly as he raised both his hands and gave me a thumbs up, almost as if he were mocking my situation.
I recognized him instantly.
It was Lucifer.
Chapter 8
“Jacob, are you alright?” Superbia whispered. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
“For all of our sakes, I really hope I am,” I warned. “Does anybody else see him?”
“Who?” Sia questioned. “There’s nobody here other than the people at this table. Are you certain you didn’t just watch a Shade go by?”
“I-I need to excuse myself, if you don’t mind,” I announced as I sat my silverware down on the table and stood up.
“That’s alright,” Asmodeus added. “I need to get going, anyways. These beautiful women aren’t going to pleasure themselves. Or maybe they are. Either way, I want to be there to help. Let me know what you decide, Mammon. Toodle Oo!”
With that, Asmodeus’ figure disappeared in a puff of green smoke, and Mirage’s eyes returned to normal.
I pushed out my chair and marched toward the area where my father was standing. As I walked, I made sure to keep my hand on the goat-headed dagger. I wasn’t going to let this son of a bitch take me by surprise.
I drew the dagger from my belt, took a deep breath, and then sprang into the hallway.
It was empty, save for Ranaldo, who was leaned back against the wall, smoking a cigarette. The man jumped a foot in the air when he saw me, and I couldn’t really blame him.
I’d probably jump too if a Demon King leapt around the corner and pointed a weapon at me.
“Oh, it’s just you,” I chuckled awkwardly as I lowered the dagger. “I thought you were … somebody else.”
“I’m the only one out here, thank you very much,” Ranaldo muttered. “I thought maybe I could have a little peace and quiet, but apparently I’m not
welcome here.”
Asmodeus’ right hand man continued to grumble as he stomped off into the room where the rest of his traveling companions were waiting.
I sheathed my dagger and rubbed my head as it spun.
He was here. I saw him clear as day. The Devil was in my castle.
Yet, somehow, he wasn’t there.
“Jacob?” I heard a woman’s voice from behind me. “What are you doing in here?”
I turned around and saw the sequin-covered figure of Mirage.
Wait … was it her? She had the power to make people appear in places they were not. Was she fucking with me?
“Did you do that?” I asked angrily.
The brunette woman raised her eyebrows curiously.
“What are you talking about?” she asked in an annoyed tone. “I’ve been projecting Asmodeus for the last hour.”
“Just Asmodeus?”
“Well yeah,” the succubus madame laughed, “that’s kinda how my projection powers work. Asmodeus only shows up when I want him to be there.”
“Not Asmodeus,” I shook my head, “I thought I saw Lucifer.”
The color seemed to drain from Mirage’s face as realization set in.
“L-Lucifer?” she gasped. “You saw Lucifer himself here? I--You have to trust me, Jacob, I’ve never met the guy before. I wouldn’t even know what he looks like.”
That made sense. Superbia had told me long ago the Prince of Darkness only revealed himself to those he deemed “worthy,” and a “lowly succubus” was about as far from worthy as you could get in his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Mirage,” I apologized and rubbed my neck. “I’m just under a lot of stress right now.”
“I get that you’re stressed, but Lucifer?” she mused. “That’s a whole other level of stress. Wait … how do you know what he looks like? You’ve only been a king for a few months.”
“What can I say?” I lied. “Once he heard I killed Azazel, he wanted to come out and meet me. He didn’t believe it was possible for a mortal to defeat a Demon King once, let alone twice.”
“I know,” the brunette purred. “It’s very, very impressive. How did you do it?”
“How did I beat Azazel?” I asked rhetorically. “Easy. It just took two full years of hunting down all his Demon Lords, taking over his cult, and wooing his succubi so he lost power. Then we had to break interdimensional law to come down to Hell and finish the job. That’s all.”
Mirage giggled and placed her hand on her chest exaggeratedly.
“You’re funny,” she chuckled. “I wish Asmodeus had your sense of humor.”
I knew where this was going. I’d seen that move so many times before, where a woman would go overboard laughing at my joke and then tell me what a comedian I was.
Usually, it was an elaborate ploy to get into my pants.
And almost always, it worked.
“Come on,” I piled it on, “Asmodeus has a sense of humor … haven’t you seen what he wears?”
This time, the madame doubled over in laughter.
“You know,” she guffawed, “you haven’t even seen the worst of it. Did you know he has a one-piece pajama suit? It’s made out of Vargrat fur and has a giant hole in the crotch, just in case he gets the ‘urge’ while he’s in bed.”
“Nooooo.” I grinned and shook my head furiously to get the image out of my brain. “Every day must be a new adventure with that guy. Sounds like you have a lot of fun working for Asmodeus.”
The brunette succubus looked down at the ground bashfully and twirled her foot in a small semi-circle.
“Not as much fun as it sounds like your succubi have,” she sighed. “They get to go on all these fun adventures with you, and then they get to come home and have actual responsibilities as if they mattered. And then, they get to fuck you.”
The madame gasped at the words that came out of her mouth, as if she hadn’t meant to say them all along.
It was even more obvious what she was trying to do, but I decided I was going to play along anyway.
“Are you jealous?” I prodded coyly.
Mirage put on another “embarrassed” face and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“I-It’s just that, you--you’re so handsome,” she muttered. “You’ve got the body of a god, with your washboard abs and your beautiful green eyes and, well, uhhhh, other things.”
“Are you talking about … ?” I asked as I nodded downward.
“Yes,” the brunette giggled. “I’ve heard about your warhammer.”
“Damn,” I whistled. “How the hell does word get around about that shit?”
“Your succubi like to brag,” she admitted. “They tell me all the great stories of your ‘connections’ and, well … ”
The madame trailed off, and I could tell she was hoping I would finish her sentence for her.
“You want one too?” I asked through a half-smile.
Mirage gasped as her face turned red.
“I mean, I’ve thought about it,” she admitted. “I’ve actually thought about it a lot. Like, a lot a lot.”
I put my hand up on the wall next to her head and leaned in so our faces were only mere inches away.
“Then what’s stopping you?” I questioned. “Asmodeus?”
“I don’t think you understand how his succubi function,” she explained with a sigh. “He may be the Master of Love, but he wants his madames to be ‘fresh’ as he calls it. We don’t get to have sex like our underlings and his concubines do.”
“Ever?” I asked in shock.
“Ever,” Mirage confirmed.
“Well, then,” I smiled and inched closer, “we’ll have to change that.”
I could see a mix of fear and excitement in the madame’s eyes. She wanted me, and she wanted me bad. Well, she was probably playing, but it didn’t matter.
“Do you think he’ll find out?” she questioned nervously.
“I don’t see him around,” I said as I looked in both directions to emphasize my point. “Maybe you just got sidetracked on the way home. Maybe you wanted to stop for a rest or maybe you needed to grab a bite to eat or, fuck, anything could be a legitimate excuse.”
Mirage bit her lip and looked downward. Then her purple eyes raised back up and stared deep into my own. She looked like she wanted to say something, like she wanted to talk herself out of it.
Then she made a move.
The brunette woman wrapped her hand around the back of my head, pulled me in close, and shoved her tongue down my throat.
I pushed Mirage back against the wall as we kissed passionately, and then we began to move toward the nearest room we could find. I threw open the first door we came to, and we found ourselves in one of the castle’s many meeting rooms.
These were designed with a velvet red carpet and held several large, rectangular tables.
Both would serve us well.
I picked up Mirage by her hips and sat her down atop one of the tables. As she fumbled to unbutton my shirt, I reached down and ran my hand along her bare leg until I felt the lips of her pussy. The madame quivered against my touch, but I pressed my lips tighter against hers and slid two fingers inside of her.
“Oh fuck,” Mirage gasped as I began to glide my fingers in and out of her.
The woman was now nearly ripping at my shirt, and then she finally got it off. The second it was on the floor, she began to nibble on my neck and run her hands down my abs.
My cock jumped to attention when I felt her delicate lips touch my neck, and I began to finger her even faster.
Mirage pulled back her head and opened her mouth as if she were going to say something, but all that came out were stifled whimpers. She was getting wetter by the second, and my cock was now aching to be inside of her.
I pulled my fingers out of her pussy, reached down, undid my belt, and then tossed my pants to the floor.
Mirage’s eyes grew wide at the sight of my dick at full mast, but then a smile crept up her face.
> “Give it to me,” she begged. “I want to feel that monster inside of me. I want you to stretch my walls wide open.”
“You thought my fingers were nice?” I joked as I pulled up the bottom of her red dress. “Just you wait.”
I positioned myself so I was on top of the succubus, pressed my body against hers, and then slowly slid my cock into her warm, tight pussy. I felt it spasm around me as I bottomed out inside of her, and she bit her hand as her eyes opened wide.
“You can make noise, you know,” I jokingly reminded her.
“I-I just--oh fuck … ” she moaned. “I just don’t want anyone to hear us.”
I summoned purple Hellfire into my hands, thew up four small walls around us, and created a miniature, sound proof room.
“There,” I smiled, “now we can be as loud as we fucking want.”
I was still inside of the beautiful woman, so I reached down and tugged the rest of her dress off the top of her head. Her full, perky breasts bounced sexily as they were released from their fabric prison, and I stared right at her small, pink nipples.
I threw the dress to the side, took both of Mirage’s hands in my own, and then pushed them backward until they were flat against the table. Then I began to thrust passionately as I held the succubus down and explored her mouth with my tongue.
The brunette was now letting it all out. She was groaning excitedly with each pump of my cock. She was gripping my hands tightly as she started to gyrate her hips in unison with my own and her eyes rolled back into her skull.
I tensed up from the incredible sensation and let her know I liked it with a deep, guttural groan of my own.
The succubus must have got my message loud and clear, because she then started to grind her hips faster.
I slowly kissed my way down her body. When I got to her perky tits, I made sure to suck each one tenderly.
As I did so, Mirage grabbed the back of my head passionately and pushed me down harder.
This must have been a hit with her.
I continued to suck on her nipples and pump into her for a few more minutes, until her sounds of ecstasy became hurried and close.
The madame’s blue mascara was now streaking down her face, and her lipstick had been left in marks all over my body. Her breasts bounced with each deep thrust I made, and the sight was bringing me closer and closer to the edge.
