Succubus Lord 10

by Eric Vall

  “I think I can help him,” Superbia said from the other side of the room. “My healing powers are so much stronger now. As long as his head is close to his body, I think they’ll re-fuse. Let’s try it.”

  “We have all gone Super Saiyan,” the imp noted as he flew over and moved the Lakhey’s head closer to its neck. “Dragonball powers, unite!”

  Sia blasted the corpse with her healing spell, and all of the wounds magically sewed themselves shut. Then Tris reanimated the corpse with a flash of orange.

  “Stop!” the Lakhey pleaded. “Me beg you!”

  “You had your chance,” I growled. “You should have thought of that shit before you came into my domain and tried to hurt the people I care about.”

  The ape demon didn’t even get a chance to respond before Ira threw the tail of her flaming whip around the ape’s leg and then dragged him across the rocky castle ground violently.

  As he was dragged, the Lakhey attempted to shoot off some sort of ectoplasmic substance from his mouth. However, his head was bouncing against the brimstone so harshly he couldn’t get a good shot. Instead, his spray hit the ceiling of the castle and melted the brimstone with a hiss.

  “Honey, you call that acid?” Ira mocked and summoned turquoise hellfire into her hand. “How pathetic. Looks like someone needs to get punished!”

  Then the succubus reached back and launched a handful of her own acidic Hellfire into the Lakhey’s face.

  He grabbed his head and howled as the flesh was seared from his face, and then he was tossed into the air with a flick of Ira’s wrist. As he came loose from the whip’s grasp, Ira called forth her morning star, pointed the tip at the Lakhey, and blasted him with the hottest Hellfire known to demons.

  The demon ape squealed as his fur was singed off his body and his flesh was seared from his bones. When the spell finally subsided, his charred remains landed on the ground of the castle with a dull thud.

  Then Tris hit him with just enough juice to barely bring him back to life.

  “Try to heal that, sister,” Ira chuckled to Superbia.

  “Let’s see what I can do,” Superbia laughed. Then the succubus madame strutted over so she was in front of the Lakhey and covered him with her healing spell.

  “Damn!” Ira chucked when the demon assassin’s flesh began to reform. “I thought that would have done it, he was just bones.”

  “Wow, Sia,” I said. “Your new healing is incredibly powerful.”

  “Thanks!” the redheaded madam laughed. “But let’s see what I can do if I decide to hurt someone.”

  Then, the second the demon was recovered, Sia hit him with a blast of her black Hellfire.

  She raised the Lakhey up into the air, and he flailed about as he struggled to breathe.

  That was far from the worst part.

  Superbia began to concentrate with a furrowed brow, and then we heard it.

  Pop.

  The Lakhey’s right arm was telekinetically bent backwards at the elbow, and his bone shot out through the skin like it was made of rubber. Next, Sia used her powers to crumple up the demons legs behind him like he was stuck in a magic trash compactor, and then she stretched his limbs out until his ankles were touching the back of his head.

  Pop.

  “Please stop!” the Lakhey begged. “Just let me die!”

  “You heard the man.” I shrugged at Sia.

  Superbia let out a slight giggle as she reached up, focused in on her black magic, and forced the fucker’s head to whip around one-hundred and eighty degrees.

  There was a loud snap as the fucker’s neck was broken, and he went limp.

  In one simultaneous motion, Sia tossed the lifeless body onto the floor and covered it with a healing spell at the same time.

  Tris threw in her necromantic fire, and the Lakhey was back on his feet in no time.

  “You crazy!” the Lakhey gasped. “King Ralston is most evil king!”

  “Don’t you forget it,” I growled and nodded at Libidine. “You don’t come into the Fourth Circle and try to bring down its King. Only I’m crazy enough to do that.”

  The Lakhey opened up its mouth to try and spray its ectoplasm, but his aim was disrupted by Libidne’s yellow spikes stabbing into the ground. They exploded into a dozen miniature shockwaves, and I swore the entire foundation of the castle was shaken.

  The demon ape was knocked back onto his ass as his attack sprayed haphazardly across the room. Libidine was on him in a flash as she summoned two yellow spikes into her hands.

  The succubus stabbed both spikes down onto the Lakhey’s shoulders and then into the ground below. He shrieked in agony, but there was nothing else the fucker could do. He was pinned down by enchanted Hellfire magic.

  So much for being a “great assassin.” Well, maybe he was, but my crew had just leveled up, and even Todd could take this guy out.

  “Now that the fun and games are over,” I growled as I approached the downed demon. “Who the fuck sent you?”

  The Lakhey shook his head angrily. These paranormal assassins were all the same. They wouldn’t break their sacred code, even if it meant death.

  “Do you want me to get out my toys?” Ira asked in an overly-excited tone.

  “He won’t talk,” Cupi sighed. “Remember what Aruna says? An assassin will die before they break their code.”

  “Oh, that’s exactly what he’s going to do,” I hissed, “it’s just the amount of times he comes back that’s up for debate.”

  “Come on, you damn dirty ape,” Todd growled as he landed beside us. “I’ve got a million different Planet of the Apes references, and they’re all ruined if this dude isn’t engaging.”

  That is not all that has been ruined, Mephisto’s telekinetic voice spoke up from behind us. Look at what this filth has done to my quarters. This will take weeks to rebuild.

  I turned around to see the tall, orange form of the Demon Lord floating toward us with a look of pure rage on his face. His body was covered with dust and bits of debris from the pile of stone he’d been buried under, but he looked mostly unharmed.

  “Nonsense, Mephisto,” Sia reassured him. “Once we deal with this assassin, I can heal up the room, just like I healed you up.”

  I can see why King Ralston likes having you around, the orange-skinned demon mused.

  “So, what’s the dealio, Jakey?” Todd growled and held out his claws. “Can we waste this jabroni for good now, or what?”

  “If he’s not gonna talk, we don’t really have another choice.” I shrugged.

  “What else do we need to know?” Cupi pondered aloud. “He was sent by one of our enemies, and he attacked one of your Demon Lords in your domain. Whoever sent him should have known this was a suicide mission.”

  “That’s why I want to know who sent him,” I reminded the Sister of Greed. “Whoever it was, they’re getting a bit too aggressive for my liking, and we need to nip them in the bud before they get any bolder.”

  “Phrasing, bro,” Todd said as he cleared his throat. “I mean, unless they’re into that kinda stuff. In which case, no homo.”

  “Let me try,” Libidine offered. “There are other ways to persuade someone to do your bidding.”

  The Sister of Lust squatted down so she was level with the Lakhey’s eyes, and then her own violet pupils began to glow with an equal shade of purple Hellfire.

  “I thought that only worked on humans?” I questioned.

  “Usually, that’s true,” the succubus sighed, “but it’s worth a shot, no? It’s either this, or we kill him right here and now.”

  Couldn’t argue with that.

  I nodded, and then Libidine stared deeply into the Lakhey’s eyes.

  Suddenly, his body went rigid like a statue, and then his pupils began to dilate and contract like he was having an epileptic seizure.

  Holy fuck, it was working.

  Liby could telepathically control other demons now.

  “Sister!” Cupi gasped. “How is this--”r />
  “The ceremony, Cupiditas,” Superbia explained. “It appears Sister Libidine can now control demons rather than just human beings.”

  “Who sent you?” Liby asked in a firm but calm tone.

  The ape demon cocked his head curiously, almost as if he were analyzing her question. Then his mouth dropped open, and he began to talk.

  “The big demon,” he explained in his typical dumb tone. “Kegg.”

  Son of a bitch.

  Everyone in the group looked at each other uneasily as the revelation hit us. We had thought we could still take Beelzebub’s Demon Lord by surprise if we acted quick enough, but now it was apparent we were already on his radar.

  “Tell him to return to his master,” I instructed. “Have him tell Kegg he was successful, and that we’re all dead. That should at least buy us some time to regroup.”

  Libidine nodded, but she kept her eyes locked firmly onto the Lakhey.

  “You will go back to Kegg and tell him we are all dead,” she reiterated. “Then you will return to your home base or wherever it is you came from, and you will tell the rest of your assassin friends that Beelzebub, Baphomet, and Gressil refused to pay you for your service.”

  “I like where this is going,” Ira said coyly.

  “I’m not following,” Tris whispered loud enough for all of us to hear.

  “It’s simple, Slothy,” Todd whispered inconspicuously back. “He tells all his buddies he was stiffed by the Three Stooges, and then none of the other badass assassins want to work for them any more. Which means things are gonna get a lot more quiet down here. At least for us.”

  The Lakhey nodded in agreement, and then the spell was broken. He looked around at us with horror in his eyes, but then he shook his head vigorously.

  The demon monkey stood up, still in a trance-like state, and gave us one final look before he turned around, ran over to the wall, and scurried up the bricks as if they weren’t even there. He flipped over the edge of the wall, and then the Lakhey was gone.

  I am surprised, Mephisto admitted. It’s not like a Demon King to let his enemies escape. Particularly ones who have committed such a heinous act.

  “Don’t worry,” I promised the Master of Whispers, “I’m not getting soft on you. I’m just really, reallly fucking tired of getting attacked by demon-assassins on our own turf.”

  Welcome to Hell, my King, Mephisto mused. If I recall correctly, Azazel had to deal with assassins quite frequently. Then again, the times have changed. I’ve been locked up for thousands of years, so what do I know?

  “A lot,” I chuckled. “You still know a fuckton more about this stuff than we do.”

  “What happens now?” Cupi sighed as she inspected the damage done to the building.

  “Now?” I retorted. “We rebuild. And then, we go and kill this fucker Kegg once and for all.”

  Chapter 12

  “Look, bro,” Todd explained cautiously as we browsed through the armory of my castle, “I’m all for just goin’ in and, ya know, ‘Leroy Jekins-ing’ and all that. But fighting Kegg on his own turf? That’s like, no bueno.”

  “It’s almost as stupid as sending a paranormal assassin into another Demon King’s territory to try and kill him,” I said a little too on-the-nose. “That’s exactly why it will work. Besides, we’ll have the element of surprise on our side.”

  As I spoke with the imp, I began suiting up in my heavy armor.

  This thing had become my go-to outfit here in Hell, and not just because it looked badass. It also had a bit of sentimental value. It was the same armor I’d snatched from the Coliseum in the village of Tybalt, when I’d killed the bird demon and met Eligor for the first time. It was also the armor I’d been wearing when I brought down Azazel once and for all.

  Ariel had made some slight modifications to the armor, but it was still nearly identical to the one I put on in that locker room all those months ago.

  The breastplate now bore my sigil, and the goat’s head that appeared on my dagger was engraved into the chest and then filled in with molten gold. This meant the sigil shined brighter than anything else on the suit and made sure my enemies knew who they were dealing with.

  The armor originally came with a helmet and flip-down visor, but I almost never wore the thing. It constricted my vision, didn’t allow me to turn my head, and worst of all… It made me strongly aware of my own breath. The large metal gauntlets, silver boots, and plated pauldrons more than made up for the lack of style.

  It was an outfit I reserved only for special occasions, such as leading my forces into battle or trying to show off my power at a diplomatic meeting.

  However, in this case, killing one of Beelzebub’s Demon Lords was also a pretty fucking special occasion.

  I’d instructed Daniel to stay here and supervise Mephisto while his quarters were being rebuilt. I’d also told the succubi who weren’t coming along on this mission to remain in the Fourth Circle, just in case our enemies tried anything fishy again.

  After all, it’d be just like Beelzebub to strike while we were away.

  “I hope you’re right about taking him by surprise,” Cupi explained as she collapsed her polearm, spun it around playfully, and then attached it to the clasp on her back. “Kegg is a madman. If we give him even the smallest amount of time to prepare for us, he will find a way to tear us to shreds.”

  “I still don’t see what’s so bad about this asshole.” I shrugged as I pulled on one of my gauntlets. “He’s just a Demon Lord. We’ve faced down not one, but two Demon Kings and lived to tell the tale.”

  “That’s the thing, though,” the blonde succubus sighed, “Beelzebub’s Demon Lords are on a different level than Azazel’s ever were.”

  “I second that,” Superbia added with a nod. “The former King of the Fourth Circle wanted subservients who were, well, subservient.”

  “I always figured Azazel was the type of dude to surround himself with brown nosers,” Todd scoffed.

  “Precisely,” the redhead confirmed as she reached out for a small dagger on the wall. “Beelzebub, on the other hand, does no such thing. He made sure that he found the demons who were the cruelest, most cunning warriors out there. That’s why he was given the Circle immediately next to Lucifer, because of his raw power. Abaddon, Gressil, and Baphomet were the next three strongest Demon Kings, so they have the next three Circles.”

  “Well,” I laughed in a “I’m fucked” tone, “I guess we picked a hell of a group to piss off, then. Quite literally every single one of the Demon Kings above Azazel are working together to try and kill us.”

  “Not all of ‘em, Jakey,” Todd reminded me with a pat on the back, “Abadabadoo is working by himself to kill us.”

  “Thanks, Todd,” I couldn’t help but smile at the imp. “You always know how to make me feel better.”

  “Don’t mention it, Jakey.” The imp grinned as he puffed out his chest and tapped his newly-regenerated horns. “Speaking of ‘feeling better,’ thanks for getting me all horny again, Strawberry Shortcake.”

  “You’re welcome,” the madame retorted cautiously with a raised eyebrow.

  Todd immediately realized his gaffe, and he slapped himself on the forehead.

  “Totally poor choice of words,” he laughed as he gestured to the regrown horns on his skull. “My bad. Thanks for making me horny again.”

  “Are you guys actually gonna use a weapon this time?” Tris asked from her spot on a nearby bench. “Because I totally think this would go faster if you guys used weapons instead of just spells.”

  “I’m considering taking something small,” Superbia admitted as she weighed one of Ariel’s custom-made daggers in her hand. “Unfortunately, we can’t all be as good of a shot as you.”

  The brunette succubus just shrugged sluggishly in response.

  “I do what I have to do,” she admitted. “The quicker I can kill some mofos, the quicker I can be back on the couch, smoking a blunt and watching all the crazy shit that goes down o
n the magic mirror.”

  “What did you even do before Todd introduced you to his killer strands of weed?” I joked.

  Tris looked up at the ceiling as she pondered the question and rapped on her chin curiously. She raised her finger and opened her mouth to speak, but then she paused and went back to thinking.

  “I think you broke Slothy, bro,” Todd whispered.

  “Me?” I laughed. “You’re the one who got her addicted to all these different kinds of the Devil’s Lettuce and changed her life forever.”

  “Naaaaaah,” Todd scoffed. “You don’t ‘get addicted’ to pot, bro. We could both stop any time we wanted to. We just don’t wanna.”

  “Mhmm.” I rolled my eyes at his words. “If I recall correctly, there was one point when we were first trapped down here that you locked yourself in your quarters and sobbed for like, a week straight.”

  “Nope,” the imp obviously lied. “The Toddster doesn’t cry. In fact, the closest I’ve ever come is watching Russel Crowe die in Gladiator. But even then, I kept it together.”

  “Please,” Cupi dismissed with a wave of her hand, “I saw real gladiators every week in the Jousts that Azazel used to hold. I’m sure they were way better than any Earth movie could portray.”

  “I dunno, Cupi … ” Todd argued. “Russel Crowe is a world treasure. Just don’t let him sing. For the love of God, don’t let him sing.”

  “Can we get a move on?” Tris asked impatiently. “The sooner we get there, the sooner Harold and Kumar can take care of this guy.”

  The door of the armory opened, and the armored figure of Gula stepped through. The succubus was still adorned with the breastplate and skirt form from before, but it was now shining dully with the glow of Divine Light. Gula threw her hands on her hips impatiently and let out a deep sigh as she stared us down.

  “Are we good to go?” she asked with a frown. “I’ve been ready for like, the last ten minutes.”

  “Not all of us have badass weapons that we can pull out of thin air,” Tris retorted. “Also, I wanted to get in a power nap before we went anywhere.”

  “I’m ready,” I noted as I tied the final strap on my left boot. “How about everyone else?”