Chapter 9: 2-1: Preparations part 5

Archer stared at the credits screen, wide-eyed and trembling. She was several shades paler than she normally was, and were I a normal human she would've snapped my arm with how hard she was squeezing it. I didn't mind the pressure, though, not with how her breasts were cushioning my elbow.

Noa reached over, calmly patting the Counter Guardian on the head. "There, there." She soothed in a monotone. "Ko will protect you from the evil witch hunters."

Archer blinked once, mouth opening. "You know what? I think that my first world isn't so bad now. I could've ended up there, instead."

I leaned over to peck her on the cheek. "It's fine, love. Just a movie."

She shuddered, nodding. "I know, but god was that creepy."

Noa nodded. "It was. But Ko is scarier than anything in the movie, so he'll just protect us like he always does."

Archer gave the innocent Spirit an amused look. "She's adorable."

"She is." I agreed seriously.

Noa yawned cutely, her head falling into the crook of my neck. "Do you mind if I go to sleep, now? I tried to stay awake until the puzzle was done, but I think we lost a piece."

"You tried to eat a piece." I corrected. "And succeeded. If cardboard could hurt you, I would be worried right now."

Noa frowned faintly. "…I thought you would be more upset."

I shrugged. "There's a difference between naïve and stupid. You're only the first one, and deliberately eating a puzzle piece when you know what a puzzle is is the second. You just wanted to see me fuss over you."

"Ah." She nodded once. "You caught me."

Archer rolled her eyes. The color seemed to have returned to her face, her grip on my arm easing considerably. "Are you done with the puzzle, now?"

"As done as we'll ever be." I picked up the piece of wood we had been doing it on, leaning over Noa to set it on the nightstand. "Are you less terrified now?"

"I wasn't terrified." She snapped, flushing. Her tail lashed in irritation. "Just… spooked. Temporarily."

Noa blinked, reaching out to touch the black ribbonlike tail. I caught her hand on instinct. "Noa, please don't touch that."

"What? Why?" The Spirit frowned.

"Because my Race has a special ability that has to do with our tails." Archer stated, cutting in with a frown. "And I'd really rather not test it on my little sister."

"Ability?" Noa tilted her head in confusion. "What ability?"

I reached out, gently picking up Archer's tail. It had a barbed heart at the end, but that bit definitely wasn't there just for aesthetic purposes. "Demons are natural emotiovores. They feed on various emotions in the human psyche, and if they drain too much, they can literally devour their soul. She's a Lust Demon, which means she prefers to 'eat' lust. Or the products of lust, at least. The more intense or concentrated, the better."

Archer looped her arms around my neck, kissing my nose. "Gotcha." She teased, almost mocking our close proximity.

I chuckled, rubbing my thumb along the heart-shaped barb. She shivered, eyes almost rolling back into her head. "She's made to tempt others into sinning so she can feed on their emotions as they do it. This little beauty is one of the best weapons in her arsenal."

I held out the tail so that the interested Spirit could see it better. "It's heart-shaped because the tip is actually a hyperthin needle capable of puncturing skin without their victim noticing. The skin to either side holds venom sacs, hence the odd shape. Succubus venom is the most powerful aphrodisiac in the world, and she's the evolved form of a succubus." I leaned in to give the girl in my arms another kiss, releasing her tail. "Well, hers is even stronger than that."

"Evolved?" Noa repeated, picking out the one word that interested her.

"Yep." I agreed, brushing the Archdemon's hair behind her ear. "She's at the top of the food chain in the land of the Demons, should she ever decide to go there."

Noa nodded absently, leaning in to scrutinize the tanned girl. "Shouldn't she have horns like Albedo, then?"

Archer sighed. "They grow in after I've taken a mate." She admitted. "It's how other Demons know I'm spoken for."

"But in stories—"

"I know what the stories say. Albedo has horns because she's a crossbreed mutation, and I'm a pure-blood." She coughed, glancing away. "…And with Demons, just because you have a mate doesn't mean you're loyal. Albedo says that most powerful monsters have a harem of over a hundred, and it's impossible for a Succubus to get the attention she needs when their mate is too busy, so…"

I raised an eyebrow. "You shouldn't have to worry about that with me. Dragons mate for life, and I really don't plan on having an enormous harem. That would keep me from fully appreciating your individual personalities and quirks."

Noa butted in, interrupting me. "What's my evolution?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Is there a form better than this one?"

"Yes, 'Greater Nature Spirit'."

"So why am I not—?"

I held up a hand, forestalling her question. "Your soul barely managed to stretch into that shell, so I dodn't think you could stand the evolved form. In time, perhaps, but not now."

The Spirit looked down at herself. "Why does Archer-nee have a better soul than I do? She was originally human, right?"

"First, humans have stronger souls than artificial lifeforms do." Archer spoke up, voice a bit firmer than mine. "And second, I have a Reality Marble. Humans normally don't have entire worlds built into their souls. Demons and Angels do."

"Ah. I get it now." Noa decided, likely growing tired of that line of questioning. "Just... don't touch Archer-nee's tail."

"As a general rule, yes." I agreed.

"I understand." She yawned, slipping out of bed. "I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'll be back soon."

She sleepily trudged into the next room, the door swinging shut behind her.

I turned to Archer, turning off the television and plunging the room into semi-darkness. All of us had nightvision, though, so I wasn't too worried. I scrutinized Archer's expression, momentarily tuning out the tantalizingly generous amounts of skin her nightgown showed.

My tan-skinned Maiden had a smile on her face, a smile that only widened as I met her gaze.

"Was that romantic enough for you?" I teased. "Our horror movie date?"

"You really do love her." She stated simply, ignoring my teasing tone.

I nodded, squeezing her hand. "I love you both. You're my Maidens."

She leaned in close, pressing a kiss to my lips. This one wasn't hungry or lustful, merely full of love. She broke it a moment later, shyly brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Today wasn't exactly what I had in mind…" She murmured, still smiling. "But I think that's a good thing. I love you, Ko."

"Love you too."

She giggled, twining her fingers with mine. "You know… if you have time tomorrow, we can finally get around to that date we wanted."

My brow raised. "So soon? Are you sure?"

Her cheeks darkened slightly. "I-I'm not really certain I can wait much longer, so… yes."

I leaned down, kissing her lightly. "There's no rush." I reminded her. "I'll wait as long as I need to."

She shook her head, face still a faint red. "Honestly, after tonight, I'm having a hard time keeping myself from calling off the date part altogether. Being in extremely close proximity to you for long enough to be practically smothered in your scent really isn't doing my self-control any favors."

I fought back a grin. I had worked hard to get this far… it was time to get my reward. "Well, then." I teased lightly. "It would be cruel of me to leave a lady unsatisfied. Tomorrow we'll give you that date you wanted."

She nodded. "Tomorrow." Her cheeks reddened, and she repeated the word quietly to herself. "T-tomorrow."

"I'll stop by at six to start our date." I took her hand, my thumb brushing along the back of it. "It's your choice what we do. I'll spend the first half of the day making sure everything is in order and that Noa is sufficiently distracted."

"R-right." She took a deep breath, eyes widening slightly. "Tomorrow night. Date."

I frowned, leaning in to touch my forehead to hers. "Are you all right, love?"

"I am trying to resist the urge to jump you." She stated, taking another deep breath. "And I may even succeed."

I cupped her cheek, brushing my thumb along her cheekbone. "It's all right, love. Even if you snap, I won't do anything to you until you're capable of rational thought. We can stop talking about this if it's making it harder for you."

"Everything is making it harder for me." She whimpered, curling into me. "Your voice, your scent, even the way you're holding me right now. We're alone in the dark beneath the sheets, with only these flimsy clothes between us. Every part of me is screaming to mate with you."

I resisted the urge to grin. Sure, I was supposed to be calming her down instead ofwinding her up. But at the same time, I was glad that her design made it so difficult to resist me. Just a few words would tip her over the edge, and suddenly she would be begging to be fucked.

But no. One more night was an acceptable wait to do this 'right'. My impatience was no excuse to alienate a girl I would be spending the rest of my life with.

Pity, though… my sharp senses could distinctly pick out exactly how turned on she was. A soft floral scent accompanied by her subtly rubbing her thighs together. A pulse like an Olympic sprinter, hammering away in her chest. Nipples pressing into my skin, as hard as diamonds. She was practically salivating over me, her entire body aching for satisfaction.

And considering she's probably drinking my lust in as well, this definitely can't be easy for her.

"I'll tell you what." I murmured, my left hand releasing hers. "We won't be having sex tonight… but there's nothing wrong with some nice kissing, is there?"

A spark of desperation lit in her eyes, and I knew she was hooked. Her lips crashed into mine, and suddenly she was putty in my hands.

Oh, yes. It was all worth it for this exact moment. Every last second of it.

And if this is just the appetizer, tomorrow's main course promises to be absolutely scrumptious.

"Are you two kissing?" Noa asked sleepily, standing in the open doorway. "Can I join too?"

Archer pulled away, a wide smile on her face. "Of course you can." She hummed, licking her lips. "Just don't keep him for too long, all right? I'm still not done with my turn."

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