Is It Strange For A Succubus To Be Wearing Clothes?

Chapter 55

—–CROW—– 

This world had an unreal, otherworldly atmosphere, unlike Earth.  A touch of fairytale whimsy, but closer to a grim, dark fable.

Two suns hung in the sky, yet it was always overcast, the light a sickly, distorted yellow.  Gnarled, skeletal trees clawed at the sky, their branches intertwined with a thick, mana-infused fog that clung to the ground.

The very soil seemed devoid of life, a testament to Transvia’s history of plunder.  Occasionally, green flames would erupt from cracks in the earth, releasing pulses of raw magical energy that resonated like the clang of heavy metal.

This was a small village of warriors.  When the call to arms sounded from the royal palace, every warrior here would join the ranks of the plunderers.

“Oh my, are those the knights?”

“Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.”

“Stop.”

“…”

There was even a conscription officer from the royal palace, wearing a unique suit of armor.  It seemed to be integrated with his body, the metal melding with his flesh.  He was here to recruit the warriors.

“Shall we move on?”

“…*Cough!*”

“Oh?”  Instead of speaking, their guide coughed up a mouthful of blood.  Then, he bit his own tongue.  Hard.

*Snip.*

The severed tongue, longer and more serpentine than a human’s, fell to the ground.

“Oh dear, I didn’t mean for you to cut off your tongue…”

“…Sowwy… pwease…”

“You’re sorry?  Yes, well… I don’t enjoy listening to gurgling, and you seem to be spewing blood every time you open your mouth.  And I have no use for a guide who can’t speak… so… what shall we do?”

—*I wish to die.*

The guide’s will reached her.

Ah, is that so?

How selfless, how kind, how considerate!

“I won’t forget your kindness.  You were the first kind and gentle guide I met in Transvia… I’ll remember the Azure Forest village, the warrior’s village, the towering Yakult tree… everything you showed me.”

She gestured with her hand.

*Now die.*

“Gah…!”

The guide’s brain cells dissolved, black blood erupting from his eyes and nose as he collapsed, dead.

How peculiar.  Usually, when she asked someone to die, they would strangle themselves or stop breathing.  But here, they seemed so thoroughly charmed that their very brain cells melted.  A novel sight.

Heehee, further proof of her beauty!  Her absolute beauty, transcending even dimensional boundaries.  Ah, the burden of being the Succubus Empress.

“Goodbye~ Thank you for your service.”

Heehee, even in death, the guide offered her his life force.  An alien energy, different from human life force, but still a delicious treat, imbued with the essence of an intelligent being.

Ah, delicious.

“Now, next guide?”

“Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes…!”

“Keep it short.”

“Yes.”

Now, she understood the importance of life, the value of a human soul, perhaps better than anyone.  Humans held infinite potential, each individual a small yet significant step in the grand journey of civilization.  She knew of the great achievements accomplished by small groups of dedicated individuals, and she wholeheartedly believed in their potential.

It was ironic, perhaps, for a high-ranking demon to value human life.  But as a demon, she understood it all the more.  After all, she was once human herself, and she still desired to retain her humanity, as much as possible.

However, one might argue she was being excessively cruel to the humanoids of Transvia.

But this, too, stemmed from a place of respect, a twisted form of it.  After examining their minds, she discovered that the humanoids of Transvia were a species built on plunder.  Their reason for invading Earth?  Plunder.

If plunder was their identity, if it was their very nature to take from others, then surely they understood the risk of having everything taken from *them*?  Surely they were prepared for such an outcome.

“Those who choose to plunder can’t expect to never be plundered themselves~”

Otherwise, they weren’t worthy of being called… well, anything, really.  Ah, but they weren’t human, were they?

Anyway, she was prepared to be charmed in return, should she ever charm someone.

“Of course, no one is more beautiful than me!”

—*That’s debatable.*

—*Emperor penguin and Gentoo penguin hybrid!*

—*What are you talking about?!*

—*Sex!*

—*Crazy!*

—*What is?*

—*Everything!*

“Heehee, I’m not crazy~”

—*Are you sure?*

—*That’s what makes you scary!*

—*Is it?*

Actually, her ability to charm the humanoids of Transvia was largely due to her Ego Violin.  The children within, fascinated by these new creatures, kept shoving violin strings into their brains, draining their blood and scattering curses, turning the entire warrior village into her thralls without a fight.  Of course, the fact that she had unveiled her face and smiled had also rendered them completely defenseless.

“Hmm, should I hold back a little?”

—*Why?*

—*Why?*

—*Why?*

It was a bit too cruel, even for her.  She hadn’t even intended to kill them, yet she had taken control of their minds and bodies.  She had already gone through five guides, all of whom had died without her intending them to.

—*Then just kill them all.*

“Ah, is that okay?”

This wasn’t Earth, after all.

She didn’t need to wear her veil.

There was no need for restraint.

Yes.  That’s right.

Today…

Today…

Today was a joyous occasion.

A day she didn’t need to hide her face.

A day she didn’t need to consider others.

A day she didn’t need to hold back.

No need for restraint, no need for caution.  Today… today!

“…Cough!”

“Aha, I see.  Thank you~”

Another life extinguished, collapsing in a pool of blood.  Blinded by her beauty, defenseless against the children’s curses and vengeful spirits, they coughed up black blood and died.

But it was alright.  They were all smiling.  Even as their eyes melted and black, viscous blood oozed from their orifices, they were smiling.  Because they had seen her.  They had witnessed her beauty, and experienced the ecstasy of her presence.

“Gulp.”

Ah, delicious.

Delicious.

An exotic blend of essence and life force, unlike anything she had tasted before.  Like… grilled beef tripe.  Humans, by comparison, tasted more like pork.

“Now, shall we move on to the next village?”

Onward~

Onward~

Onward~ Onward~

“That’s a bit too childish.”

Perhaps some music, then?

A captive audience.

Surrounded by listeners, by spectators.  No need to hold back.

She picked up her violin after a long hiatus.  And the piece she chose… ah, yes.

“Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125.  Ode to Joy.”

The soloist: her.

Violin-ssi.

And the other instruments…?

“They’ll do, won’t they?”

The Ego Violin, responding to her will, glowed brightly.

“Ah, ah, ah…!”

“Gaaaaah!”

“Stop! Stop it!”

“Aaaaagh!”

“Kyaaaaa!”

“Cough!”

“I don’t want to be an instrument!  I don’t want to be an instrument!  I don’t want to be an instrument!”

“I’ll guide you!  Just please don’t turn me into an instrument!  Please! Please! Please!”

The humanoids connected to the violin began to glow.  Their bodies contorted, their vocal cords reshaped, their rib cages collapsing into the forms of orchestral instruments.  They tore open their own stomachs, their throats splitting into trumpet-like shapes, screaming their refusal as their bodies were remade.

The specific form didn’t matter.  All that mattered was the sound.

Violins, cellos, harps, trumpets… she would create an entire orchestra from these humanoids.

“Is everyone ready?”

—*Boooo~!*

—*Wooo~!*

They couldn’t speak.  Ah, right, she had turned them into instruments.

“Ah, wait…”

Magnificent.

They looked magnificent.

The humanoids of Transvia were plunderers, addicted to war.  They couldn’t survive without taking from others; their civilization was built on it.

And the piece she was about to play was Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Ode to Joy.  Based on Friedrich Schiller’s poem “Ode an die Freude,” its themes were universal brotherhood, solidarity, joy, happiness, peace, and harmony.

What a perfect piece to share with this species of plunderers!

Let’s all become one and be happy.  A truly beautiful, enchanting image.

“Let’s march.”

So let’s march.  Let’s all march forward, singing the Ode to Joy.

She would begin.

“Freude, schöner Götterfunken,

Joy, beautiful spark of divinity,

Tochter aus Elysium,

Daughter from Elysium,”

She began with a violin solo.

The sound gradually grew louder.

“Wir betreten feuertrunken,

We enter, fire-drunk,

Himmlische, dein fallendes Reich!

Heavenly, your falling kingdom!”

The transformed humanoids joined her performance, marching alongside her, participating in the Ode to Joy.

“Deine Schönheit bindet wieder

Your beauty binds again

Was die Mode streng geteilt.

What custom strictly divided.”

Unlike a grand orchestra and chorus, she conveyed the essence of the piece with a single, delicate melody.  The clear, pure notes resonated through the air, the violin’s voice singing of joy and longing, like a human voice.

“Alle Menschen werden Brüder,

All people become brothers,

Wo dein verflügelter Flügel weilt!

Where your damnable wing lingers!”

Huh?

How strange.  Were those the original lyrics?  They sounded… different, coming from her.

But it didn’t matter.

“Even a falling kingdom will become one under my beautiful influence.”

Under her damnable wing.

Now, onward.

Onward.

Onward.

Let’s march forward with the song of ruin.

Bringing ruin, destruction, and her beauty to wherever the sound reached.

Ah, she could see a village in the distance!

A new village!

New instruments!

Come here.

Don’t be afraid.

Don’t be scared.

There’s nothing to fear.

Open your ears.

Don’t cover your ears.

Don’t scream.

Let’s listen together.

And then, you can join me in this procession!

There is no refusal.

All of you.

Now, to the next village.

To the kingdom.

Onward, onward~

—–CROW—– 

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