Chapter 896: The Fallen Arbiter Awakens
After his three-day romp with Lumina ended, he finally managed to escape her den of lust and seduction.
Rather, after the so-called breakfast... his spider wife seemed to have reached her limit and lost consciousness before wrapping herself in a burrow of golden silk as she prepared her massive burrow for the next few months.
’I can’t believe she’s pregnant again...’
Four cute little girls with white hair and features like their mother flashed before his eyes.
’I hope they take the news well...’
Asmodeus paced along the quiet citadel where his beloved wife lived, though he wished to remain at the impact site; most of his wives insisted he return to the empire. He leaned against the smooth grey stone, both palms enjoying the coldness as he overlooked the Empire of Lumeria in silence.
’Such a beautiful place...’
What shocked him were the two deep trenches almost reaching the capital city from Leviathan’s desperate attack.
’Two beams almost destroyed everything...’
At first, he didn’t believe it could cause this much damage, but now, seeing it in person, he regretted making such a dangerous, makeshift plan.
"Master, do not feel guilty."
"Yes, Master, we will fix everything for you."
To his left was the seductive succubus Sari, who held his arm, gently pressing her humongous breasts around his elbow, her cheeky smile enough to blow the doubts away from his heart, which remained heavy.
While to his right, the devilish Riel leaned with her buttocks against his waist, her plump rear melting all issues and lingering thoughts that might’ve remained.
"You two have really become a dangerous duo..."
"Huhuhuhu~ but you like it, right, Master?"
"Dear master, please let us help relieve any worries and stress you have!"
Sari’s smooth fingertips slid down his chest before settling just above his waist. Riel, on the other hand, matched her sister’s movements, then let her palms gently cup his sore crotch after three days of being drained.
’These two...’
Asmodeus forced himself to smile, unable to ignore their seduction fully. Yet with his mind emptied of other thoughts, it also helped him focus. ’No, I cannot relish in these comforts.’
First, he needed to interrogate and speak with Ein.
Without her powers as an Arbiter, there was no chance for a woman to resist his powers.
The grey tower they stood upon was, in fact, a prison. Beneath them, countless criminals would normally be awaiting their trial or punishment for whatever crimes they committed, be it from petty theft to rape or murder.
Even if Asmodeus could adjust and stop demons from losing control fully, Lumeria’s growth brought in far more people than he could ever hope to control or manage alone.
Thus, crimes happened.
However, the rate was a fraction of even the safest places in Grigor or other nations.
"How are our lovely children?" He asked the girls, while wrapping his arms around their delicate yet alluring hips.
Because of the limited amount of time he had, even with the domain. Asmodeus knew that both Riel and Sari had been extremely generous to him despite being succubi who needed his energy the most...
"They’re wonderful, Master!" Sari answered instantly, her entire expression brightening. "Although Thalys has learned how to climb onto the palace roof to peek into our shared chambers, and apparently this is somehow my fault."
"It is your fault."
Riel didn’t hesitate to argue back as Sari’s mouth dropped open.
"My fault?!"
"She watches you."
"What does that mean?"
"It means she behaves exactly like you."
Asmodeus glanced between them as they started descending the spiral staircase. "I thought Thalys was your daughter, Riel."
"Biologically."
Riel sighed, one hand brushing her dark hair aside. "Spiritually, I appear to have given birth to my sister."
"Huhuhuhu~ she’s simply adventurous."
"She put a beetle inside Nyxielle’s shoe."
"A harmless beetle."
"Then convinced Nyxielle that the beetle had eaten her mother using illusion magic..."
Asmodeus stumbled half a step.
"...What?"
Sari covered her lips, desperately failing to suppress her laughter.
Even Riel’s stern expression cracked.
"Apparently," Riel continued, "Thalys informed her that vengeance was necessary."
"For the beetle?"
"For its grieving children."
Asmodeus stared at the two women.
He couldn’t help but acknowledge he’d put his dick in crazy, the one thing he swore never to do. Though the children playing sounded cute, the fact that they used illusion and magic on each other made him a little anxious.
’My little Nyxielle... is she okay?’
Alas, a father only knew how lovely his daughters were. If he knew half the things his lovely ’Nyx’ had done in retaliation...
Their footsteps continued downwards.
The bright openings along the tower gradually disappeared, replaced by mana lamps embedded between smooth blocks of grey stone.
"And Elira?" Asmodeus asked.
This time Sari became quieter.
"She’s been reading quite a lot..." Sari said in a strangely bitter tone, glaring at Riel, who looked happy and smiled proudly.
"My cute little Niece loves to read! She enjoys the old bestiaries, especially the sections regarding magical evolution."
’Eh? How old is my daughter again...?’
He could have sworn those girls weren’t even five yet. Those books were huge, with thousands of pages of words and only a few pictures showing sketches of the monsters and things explained.
"How old is she again?"
"Old enough to know her father shouldn’t disappear for months."
The sharp spear of Riel’s words pierced his chest, while the two twins glanced at each other before smirking.
"Sister."
"What?" Sari’s playful expression softened. "It’s true."
Asmodeus didn’t argue, and instead, as his pace slowed, he hugged their seductive bodies closer, his finger sinking into their uselessly soft flesh, causing his libido to rise rapidly. Even though he knew it wasn’t the time.
"No... she’s right."
For once, neither succubus teased him.
Riel eventually leaned her head against his shoulder as they continued down another flight.
"Elira asks about you often," she admitted. "I told her that you’re busy, and to show her as many videos of you as possible. She seems to enjoy watching you fight monsters... I’ve noticed her stealing the holo-orbs of all your battles we recorded over the past four years."
"Really?"
He couldn’t help but smile, thinking his daughter was that interested in him. It also renewed his desire to take some time off. Asmodeus wanted to master and further evolve his domain so he could spend more time with his many children.
’I should be able to break this barrier soon...’
He could feel the barrier between him and completely breaking through to Rank Five gradually weakening with each day.
Though the warmth of their conversation gradually faded as they reached the lower levels.
There were no windows here.
Only reinforced doors, thick walls and the constant vibration of defensive formations running beneath the stone.
Yet the cells were empty.
Every prisoner had been relocated before Ein arrived.
Of course, relocation meant they were executed, but nobody spoke of such things. A criminal didn’t have rights in this empire once proven guilty. Luckily, with magic, there was little a criminal could do to hide their guilt and crime.
Even magical resistances had their limits.
’Well... this place is kind of dreary.’
Asmodeus didn’t have the prisoners executed and moved because he feared escape, but rather because of a strange, distorted possessiveness. He didn’t want anyone else to see her naked figure...
Criminals were stripped naked in the prisons of Lumeria after all.
"Here we are..."
"Master, it stinks down here..."
"Mhm."
When they approached, two female guards bowed immediately as they reached the final gate.
"Your Majesty."
"Any changes?"
"No, Majesty. The prisoner hasn’t spoken since waking."
"I see. Open the doors."
The mechanisms inside the door groaned.
Clunk.
Several layers of enchantments faded before the enormous slab of reinforced stone slowly moved aside.
Cold air escaped from within.
Sari’s playful smile vanished.
Riel straightened beside him.
Asmodeus entered first.
The chamber beyond was enormous compared to an ordinary cell, deliberately stripped of anything Ein might potentially turn into a weapon. Enhanced mana chains stretched from opposite walls, their glowing links connected to restraints around her wrists and ankles.
And between them, the former Arbiter bent forward with her buttocks pressed against the wall.
Completely naked.
Not from humiliation, nor punishment, but necessity; every piece of equipment that had survived the battle had been removed and isolated for examination.
Luckily, her exoskeleton vanished the moment Leviathan bit a chunk of her flesh and devoured it, though as Asmodeus stopped several paces in front of her, the Arbiter remained still with her head hung forward.
Long pale hair split across her shoulders and chest, partially obscuring a body that seemed almost unnaturally untouched by the violence she had endured. Her fair skin remained pristine, without scars or blemishes, while below her abdomen a small triangle of neatly trimmed white hair stood out against her pallor.
She looked almost fragile in those chains. Like a pure being, nothing like the creature that had descended upon them wearing divine armour.
’Was she an elf?’
Her ears possessed a subtle taper.
Yet something about them wasn’t quite right.
’Human...?’
Asmodeus couldn’t tell anymore. Perhaps whatever created an Arbiter changed more than their powers. Yet the moment he came close, her nose sniffed the air, her facial muscles tightened and twitched as her breathing shifted.
Her head slowly rose, meeting his gaze with her pale eyes and long, delicate lashes.
She took a quick glance from left to right at Sari and Riel before settling back on Asmodeus, her expression still cold.
There was no fear, hatred or despair in them, but neither was there any life.
"So..."
Her voice rasped from a dry throat.
"The filthy demon finally comes to see me..."
The chains rattled as she tried to shift her body, unable to hide her exposed breasts as they drooped slightly, their soft flesh bouncing with her jerky movements.
Asmodeus stepped closer until only the chains separated them, then caught her cheek in one hand. His thumb pressed beneath her eye, forcing that empty gaze upward until their faces hovered barely an inch apart.
"Filthy demon?"
Ein stared back without blinking.
Yet something finally moved behind those pale eyes. Much different from her lifeless stare as an arbiter, he could feel a sort of flame. Yes. The flame of life burned ever so faintly in the depths of Ein’s eyes.
Her nostrils flared, breathing suddenly uneven as she leaned forward and caught his lower lip between her teeth. The sudden bite was fierce, playful and yet extremely unpleasant as blood oozed from his lips.
Asmodeus froze, with a bloody grin.
"You really are strange."
Before Ein could answer, he pushed her back against the cold wall, the chains rattling sharply around her wrists.
Clang!
His mouth crashed against hers.
"Mmph!?"
Her eyes widened as his tongue slipped between her teeth, stealing whatever insult had been forming. Ein stiffened beneath him, completely bewildered for several heartbeats, before awkwardly tilting her head and trying to match his rhythm with her soft, delicious tongue.
’What... am I doing?’
Asmodeus finally pulled back.
A thin thread of saliva stretched between them.
He covered his face, and yet the image of Ein remained between his fingers. Her pink cheeks, her panting, her pristine body and swollen nipples locked in this prison, erupted the dormant lust that Lumina tried so desperately to quell.
But what shocked him the most was how, for the first time since he met her.
Ein looked alive.
And utterly confused, as her tongue peeked between her lips.