"It is Destiny," Tariana, the second strongest Succubus, explained. "You cannot escape it, not as long as your strength is yours, not as long as you breathe."
The Humans had their prophecies, and the Demons had their own.
"Can Destiny not be ignored, vanquished, or circumvented?" The Succubus Queen sighed.
"Destiny isn’t the issue here," Tariana responded. "The problem is that bastard."
"He believes in it, doesn’t he?"
"It’s probably more that he feels it in his bones. It is a tale as old as time. The advent of the Demon King is preceded by the rise of his Demon Lords, and three Demon Lords have risen already."
The Succubus Queen already knew that, and the Demons across the World that thought about more than bloodshed and breeding had all turned their eyes towards Lucaria, the Land of Lust.
Two events of great significance had taken place around the same time.
An Incubus had proved his superiority and might on the eastern side of Lucaria, commonly known as the Kingdom of Incubi.
A Succubus, through undeniable strength and fortitude, rallied the Succubi of the western side of Lucaria, the Kingdom of Succubi.
Each side of Lucaria is now within a ruler’s grasp, but there can only be one true ruler.
"Our location is being kept secret, for now," Tariana muttered while nervously scratching her elbow. "But the Incubus King is looking for you, for the final showdown, for his chance to ascend."
"To ascend into a Demon Lord, huh?" The Succubus Queen gazed through the window pensively. Her long and dark purplish hair swayed faintly upward with the incoming hot wind. Beyond the open window stretched a land of red, rocky plains punctuated by multiple slumbering volcanoes. The Queen didn’t like this location at all. "Syndra’s magic has been more than helpful in delaying it."
"We could only find her because you decided to spare those weaker than us." Tariana shrugged. "If it were up to me at the time, she would never have flourished into what she is now." She tucked a strand of her short, quicksilver hair behind her ear. "Your compassion was a strength, this time."
"Coming from you, even compliments sting." The Succubus Queen sighed.
"Well, we are sisters, aren’t we?"
They were, in every way that counted, apart from blood.
"What about Saphyra and the others?" The Queen asked after a moment. "Anything new?"
"Apparently, they are making some progress in obtaining something of immense value." Tariana nodded. "It seems very promising, judging from the way Saphyra’s voice sounded."
The Succubus Queen took a deep breath and relaxed into her seat.
"Sending Demons to the Human World..." She whispered, gazing at the ceiling. "Optimistic, and utterly desperate."
"These are desperate times..."
The Succubus Queen had only run into the Incubus King once, long ago. She didn’t have the strength to beat him then, and doubted that she could do so now.
A knock resounded, and the throne room’s door opened.
"Is it time, Syndra?" The Queen asked.
"All preparations have been made," Syndra knelt clumsily, unsure whether or not to do so, until her knee kissed the ground. "Your Majesty."
"Get up already," Her Majesty chuckled. "Tariana was only messing with you when she told you to kneel."
"I-I see."
The Succubus Queen rose from her throne, and her long legs swayed as she walked towards the younger, shorter Syndra.
"From now on, we are family," The Queen whispered while caressing Syndra’s cheek. "Understand? You can think of me as... Your aunt."
Syndra slowly nodded.
"Then... Since Tariana is your sister... Does that make her my mother?" The Succubus pursed her lips for a moment. "I don’t have to call her mommy or anything, do I?"
The two sisters exchanged a glance before giggling.
"I’ll loan you my strength," The Queen placed a hand on Syndra’s shoulder. "Get us out of here."
The Incubus King had sniffed out the Succubus Queen’s location.
Syndra felt her body fill with power, and her mana reserves boomed.
The Succubus’ hands came together, and she disappeared, along with the two by her side, every Succubus inside the castle, and the castle itself.
Three days later, Saphyra and the Succubi that accompanied her returned from the Human World.
"It belonged to the Supreme Archmage, the third strongest Knight of the Order!" Saphyra, the Succubus Queen’s adopted daughter, exclaimed.
While the titles sounded fancy, they meant practically nothing to the Queen.
The power and mana held within that treasure, however...
"Alatreon’s Tear," Saphyra explained. "That’s how they call it."
Pretending to be humans wasn’t easy, and seducing their way into the Supreme Archmage’s treasury was even more difficult. Thankfully, there was a particular lapse of time, one particular shift, during which the guards holding the treasury safe were particularly weak to Saphyra’s mind-altering magic, as well as to the other Succubi’s charms.
"With this..." The Succubus Queen picked up the treasure with her thumb and index finger.
Humans and Demons use Artefacts differently.
While the Supreme Archmage wielded Alatreon’s Tear, the Succubus Queen had other ideas.
"With this, I will definitely..."
The treasure was placed on the Queen’s tongue, and promptly swallowed.
"...!"
The effect was almost immediate.
The Succubus Queen’s body brimmed with energy, and her magical prowess increased manyfold.
Uncontrollably so, as the Succubi surrounding her felt the need to step back.
"What the... What the hell..." The Succubus Queen strained, stumbled, and nearly fell over. "What the hell... Did you bring me?!"
Succubi, and Demons as a whole, can ingest objects with magical properties, devouring them to make those magical properties their own.
However, this demonic ability holds a huge downside.
If the object with magical properties holds more power than the Demon swallowing it, that power will fill the Demon’s body with strength it cannot handle, and the Demon will succumb, combusting and bursting at once.
When that Demon is a Succubus, however...
***
"Hm..." The Succubus Queen sighed. "Can you stop staring?"
"I can’t help it." Tariana shrugged, unable to keep her gaze away from the Queen’s stomach. "You’re showing. Like a lot."
"How surprising! It’s only been six months." The Succubus Queen rolled her eyes dismissively. "Anyways, we have more important things to worry about," The Queen said dismissively, holding onto the arm of her throne with one hand to stand while keeping a protective hand over her stomach. "How will it happen? How can it happen? How am I supposed to...? How are we going to...?"
"Calm down, calm down. I’m sure we will find a way." Tariana tried her best to calm her sister, but it was a real conundrum.
A Succubus giving birth is already a very rare occurrence, which usually only happens when a Succubus breeds with someone much stronger than her. Falling pregnant by consuming an Artefact is almost unheard of and... On top of that, the Queen’s special condition has to be taken into account!
"A virgin birth..." Tariana whispered after leaving the throne room, massaging her forehead. "How that will go, I have no idea..."