Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!

{Melisa}

She'd done it a few times now, but getting dressed after sex with Vira always felt like putting on a costume for a play. Each piece of clothing was another layer of 'Melanie' she had to remember to wear.

[... Though I guess the bite marks help sell the role,] she thought, examining a particularly impressive one in Vira's mirror. [Nothing says 'definitely not a spy' like letting someone gnaw on your tits for an hour.]

Vira was still passed out on the bed, snoring softly. She'd barely lasted through round three before exhaustion claimed her, which was probably for the best.

Melisa had places to be, warnings to deliver, and possibly some terrorists to murder.

[Just another Tuesday night in Syux,] she thought, adjusting her shirt to hide the worst of the marks.

The walk down to the bar felt longer than usual. Or, maybe she just had a lot on her mind. The staircase, with its perpetually sticky handrail and questionable stains, had never seemed so endless.

[Wonder how many people have stumbled down these stairs drunk off their asses. Or possibly just missed seeing them entirely, given how dark it gets in here.]

The bar itself was mercifully empty, save for that same bartender from earlier, now face-down on his table. Either passed out or dead – it was honestly hard to tell in this lighting.

The night air hit her face like a slap from a particularly enthusiastic lover, clearing away some of the fog that three hours of vigorous physical activity had left in her brain. Stars were already starting to peek through the twilight, little points of light that seemed to mock her growing sense of urgency.

[Well... Alright. Kimiko's house. Warnings. Potential murder. In that order.]

She'd made it maybe ten steps down the street when a familiar voice called out behind her.

"Melanie!"

[...] Melisa froze. [Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me.]

Koros's voice carried through the evening air like he was suddenly auditioning for the role of 'friendly neighborhood terrorist.' All that usual intensity was gone, replaced by something that was probably supposed to be charm.

It only succeded at making her skin crawl.

[Well... This is either really lucky or really unlucky. Let's see which one.]

"Koros!" She turned, plastering on a smile that hopefully didn't look as forced as it felt. "Fancy meeting you here. I was just heading back home."

He stood under one of the street lamps, trying way too hard to look casual. The light caught the edges of his horns, casting very dramatic shadows across his face that probably would have been intimidating if Melisa hadn't spent the last few hours making his sister see stars.

"That so? Well, could I maybe take a moment of your time?" He was doing that thing a lot of men did when they thought they were being suave – leaning against the wall, arms crossed. Probably spent a lot of time practicing that smoldering look in the mirror.

Melisa smiled as she said:

"For you?" She let her tail swish side-to-side playfully. "Always."

He gestured toward a side street, and Melisa fell into step beside him, noting how he positioned himself between her and the main road.

[I've watched my fair share of true crime content back on Earth, and I still remember it,] Melisa thought. [It's a subtle show of power. Basically, 'if you want to get out of this conversation, you literally have to go through me'. Subtle.]

But she just smiled and walked with him.

"So," he began, voice low and intense, "you said you wanted to join our fight?"

[No, I said I wanted to infiltrate your terrorist cell and eventually murder you all, but go on.]

"That's right!" She channeled her best eager-recruit energy, the kind that made experienced revolutionaries wet themselves with joy. "I want to make a difference!"

"We've done some impressive things lately," he said, clearly warming to his role as charismatic leader. "The warehouse fire in the merchant's district. The robbery of that merchant's house you might have heard of... We tried to burn the former court sorceress's house too, but that didn't pan out."

Melisa flinched. It was like the information she just heard had physically punched her.

[... There it is,] she thought, subtly clenching one fist. [Casual confirmation. They did do it.]

"I-I heard about those!" She bounced a little, letting her tits jiggle in a way that immediately drew his attention. "Everyone's talking about them!"

She was hot with rage, obviously. But, she wanted to keep the act up. She couldn't get real just yet.

No, when she did, she wanted to inflict as much pain as possible. And, this was not the time for that.

His chest puffed up like a particularly proud pigeon.

"But our next target... this is going to be something really special."

"Oh?" She leaned in, eyes wide. "What is it?"

"We're going after friends of Melisa Blackflame."

He paused, clearly expecting a reaction. Melisa obligingly gasped.

"The nim mage?" She put a hand to her mouth. "But... isn't she supposed to be really powerful?"

[Powerful enough to turn you into a fucking pretzel without breaking a sweat, yeah. And I will. Oh, I absolutely will.]

"That's what makes it perfect!" His eyes gleamed with the special light of someone about to do something incredibly stupid. "No one would expect us to be bold enough to target her friends. It'll show everyone we're not afraid of her or her human masters."

[Bold is certainly one word for it,] Melisa thought. [Suicidal is another.]

"Eventually," he added, "we're hoping to fight her directly. But, for now, it's probably best to weaken her a little. So, what do you say? You in?" he asked, intensity cranked up to eleven. "This could be your chance to prove yourself."

Melisa made a show of considering it, like she was weighing the pros and cons of signing up for certain death instead of just gathering intelligence.

[Well, knowing exactly when and how they plan to attack would make stopping them easier...]

"I'm in," she said firmly. "Just tell me what you need me to do."

His smile was probably meant to be reassuring. On him, it looked more like indigestion.

"We'll meet tomorrow night to plan. Same place, midnight."

She watched him walk away, already mentally composing her warning to Kimiko and Isabella.

[Walking right into my trap,] she thought, smiling. [And the best part? You think it's your idea.]