Chapter 3: The Succubus General

I stare at the liches who are bowing their heads and trembling in front of me. I feel a cold sweat running down my spine. What do I do now? I try to calm myself and think of something to say.

"Uh… r-rise, all of you. And, um, lead me to the surface. Now." I stutter. Crap, hopefully, they won't notice my nervousness.

"Yes, young master! As you wish!" The liches reply in unison, sounding ecstatic and relieved. They quickly get up and form a line behind me. The one who seems to be the leader gestures for me to follow him.

"By the way, what's your name?" I ask him, trying to be polite.

"My name is Zalazar, young master. I am the head of the liches and Lord Velios' most trusted servant." He says, sounding proud and humble at the same time.

"I see. Well, nice to meet you, Zalazar." I say.

"It is an honor to meet you, young master Nyakura. You look so much like Lord Velios." He says, gushing over me.

I feel a bit uncomfortable with his praise. I don't really like being compared to Velios, who turned me into a demon without my consent. But I decide to play along for now and follow him.

As we walk through the dark and damp corridors of the basement/tomb, I notice that the walls are covered with cracks and scorch marks. The ceiling is collapsed in some places, and the floor is littered with debris and bones. It looks like a scene from a horror movie.

"Hey, Zalazar. What happened here? Why is this place in such a bad shape?" I ask him, trying to make some conversation.

"Young master, this is the result of the heroes' attack ten years ago. They came here with a large army and tried to kill Lord Velios. They used their powerful magic and weapons to destroy everything in their path. We fought back with all our might, but we were outnumbered and outmatched. We managed to repel them, but we suffered heavy losses. Many of our comrades fell that day, and Lord Velios was gravely wounded and perished. Fear not, your father will rise again once more." Zalazar explains, sounding sad and angry.

I feel a pang of sympathy for him and his fellow liches. They must have been loyal to Velios for a long time, and they had to endure such a brutal attack from the heroes. I don't think I can tell them that their master is dead that would be bad for me and the whole army. Morale is needed in wars. You lose that, you lose your army.

I recall what Velios told me before he reincarnated me into this world. He cursed the four heroes with immortality in hopes of breaking their spirits. It was supposed to be psychological torture but Velios failed to take into account that his enemies were teenagers who wanted to escape reality and he just gave them the biggest cheat code. And now I'm the one who is going clean this mess. I could have rejected it but I had a gut feeling that I would have regretted it.

And even if I am excited by all this, there's still doubt inside me.

I wonder how powerful Velios' army is if they can fight against four immortal heroes. And I wonder how powerful I am if I inherited his title. Do I have what it takes to save this world as the new demon king? Or am I just going to fail and somehow make things worse?

We continue to walk through the basement/tomb, following Zalazar's lead. He tells me that we are almost at the exit and that we will soon reach the castle's main hall. He also tells me that there is only one of Velios' five generals in the castle right now. The others are either away on missions or in hiding.

"Who is the general?" I ask him, feeling curious.

"Her name is Lila Lurk. She is the commander of the succubus legion and Lord Velios' personal guard." He says, sounding respectful.

I imagine a buff demon with horns and wings or an attractive succubus with curves and charm. I shake my head and banish the images from my mind. I scold myself for making assumptions based on stereotypes. I should focus on how I'm going to convince the general that I'm Velios' successor and his secret child. That won't be easy, especially since I don't know anything about her or her loyalty.

"What should I do when I talk to her?" I ask Zalazar, hoping for some advice.

"Well, young master, you should be careful. She is a succubus, and she might try to seduce you or drain your energy." He says, sounding serious.

"What about her connection to Velios? How loyal is she to him?" I ask him, changing the subject.

"She is very loyal, young master. She is Lord Velios' most devoted general and his closest confidant. She would do anything for him, even die for him. She is also very prideful and stubborn. She doesn't like anyone who challenges her authority or questions her decisions without any good reason." He says, sounding cautious.

I sigh and rub my temples. This sounds like a lot of work. How am I supposed to win her over and make her follow me? How am I supposed to lead an army of demons and fight against four heroes? How am I supposed to save this world as the new demon king? But I can work with this.

We finally reach the exit of the tomb and emerge into the daylight. I squint my eyes and look around. I see a large castle made of stone and metal, with towers and battlements. It looks imposing and majestic, but also damaged and decayed. It reminds me of the ruin we just left behind.

As we walk towards the main hall, I notice Zalazar suddenly reach for his left ear and begin to talk to someone as if he was on a phone or in this case magic telepathy. He sounds urgent and respectful, but I can't hear what he is saying or who he is talking to.

He finishes his conversation and looks at me. He points to the main hall and tells me that Lila is waiting for us there. He says that we should hurry and not keep her waiting. He says that she might get angry or impatient if we do.

I nod and follow him, feeling nervous and anxious. I wonder what will happen when I meet Lila Lurk, the succubus general. Will she accept me as her new lord? Or will she reject me as an impostor?

I followed Zalazar to the main hall, where he says Lila is waiting for me. I mentally prepared myself to reject the seduction of the succubus, but instead of seeing a seductive demon in a lewd outfit, I see a woman in knight armor with a freaking halberd on her back. She is standing in the middle of the hall, surrounded by other succubi who are wearing more revealing clothes and weapons. She looks serious and stern, unlike the others who look playful and flirty.

"Where is Lila?" I ask Zalazar, feeling confused.

He points to the woman in armor and says, "That's her, young master. That's Lila Lurk, the succubus general."

I stare at him and say, "You're kidding me, right? That's not a succubus."

He shakes his head and says, "No, young master. I'm telling you the truth. She is a succubus, but she is different from the rest of her kin. She has retained her virginity for hundreds of years, and she has devoted herself to Lord Velios and his cause. She values honor and loyalty above all else. She is also very skilled and powerful in combat. She is the leader of the succubus legion and Lord Velios' personal guard."

I blink and stare at him. Is he joking with me? Or is he telling the truth? Can a succubus even be a virgin? How does that work? How can a succubus be a knight? How can a succubus be loyal and honorable? It doesn't make any sense.

I look back at the woman in armor and examine her more closely. She has long blonde hair with pink highlights, dark skin, blue eyes, and a curvy figure. Her knight armor shows her figure but it covers every inch of her body. Its designs were completely practical for a female warrior that utilizes flexibility. She looks like a noble and elegant lady, not a lustful and wicked demon.

How can she be… Oh, I see it now. Looks like the charm is working, but it looks like she's keeping that in check. Then I heard screams and saw a human male pleading for one more glance at the general. Said general got annoyed and said something to the knight and whatever it is she said, the man suddenly pales and becomes stiff as a corpse dead. The dude looks like she just ripped his manhood.

Damn, girl, you're scary.

She notices me and Zalazar and walks towards us. She has a serious expression on her face and a confident posture. She stops in front of us and Zalazar bows slightly.

"Zalazar, who's this chump?" She asks, looking at me with curiosity and suspicion.

"General Lurk, this is young master Nyakura. He is Lord Velios' son and successor. He has come here to take his place as the new demon king." He says.

Lila raises an eyebrow and approaches us. She inspects me with her blue eyes, making me feel uncomfortable. I wonder if she already knows that I'm lying about being Velios' son.

She says, "Lord Velios' son, huh? That's news to me. I don't remember him having any wife or mistress. But I have to admit, you do look like him. You have his eyes, his horns, his mark… You remind me of him when he was younger."

I feel a wave of relief washes over me. Maybe she will believe me after all.

But then she continues, "However, looking like him is not enough. You have to prove that you have the power and the skill to be a demon king. And the only way to do that is to pass my test."

I feel a surge of anxiety and dread. I ask her, "What test?"

She lets out an arrogant laugh and answers, "A fight, of course. A one-on-one duel between you and me. If you can defeat me or make me surrender, then I will acknowledge you as the new demon king. But if you lose or give up, then I will reject you as an impostor and kill you on the spot."

ARE

YOU

SH**TING

ME!?

I shiver and panic. I can't believe what she is saying. She wants to fight me? Here and now? How am I supposed to beat her? She is a succubus general and a personal guard of Velios. She must be very strong and experienced in combat. And I'm just a high school student who knows how to use a gun and some skills that I barely understand. I am only level 1 damn it!

I look at her and hope that she is joking or bluffing. But I see that she is very serious. She has a confident and challenging smile on her face. She takes off her halberd from her back and holds it in her hands. She points it at me and says, "So, what do you say? Are you ready to face me? Or are you too scared to try?"

I can't beat her and she knows that. It's written all over her face. But the only way I can get an army is to fight her. She has me cornered, damn. GRRR.. no stay calm, keep it together.

I ask Lila if I can prepare myself for the fight. I hope that she will give me some time to think of a way out of this situation.

She nods and says, "Fine. I'll give you some time to get ready. But don't think that it will make any difference. The outcome of our fight is already decided. You have no chance against me."

I feel annoyed by her taunt, but I know that she is right. She is way out of my league. I have no chance against her.

She orders Zalazar to take me to one of the guest rooms. She says that she will wait for me in the courtyard, where we will have our duel. She says that I have until noon to show up, or else she will come and get me.

Zalazar bows and takes me to the second floor. He leads me through a long corridor with many doors on both sides. He tells me that these are the guest rooms, where visitors and allies of Velios stay when they come to the castle.

As we walk, I notice that it must be early morning. The sun is shining through the windows, casting a warm light on the walls and floor. I take a peek outside and see a beautiful landscape. I see a green forest with tall trees and colorful flowers. I see a blue lake with clear water and sparkling waves. I see a mountain range with snow-capped peaks and misty clouds. I see a sky with bright stars and a crescent moon.

I wonder if this is really a place for demons. It looks more like a place for fairies or elves. It looks enchanting and peaceful, not dark and chaotic.

I hear Zalazar call my name and snap out of my trance. I apologize for being distracted and admiring the view.

He laughs and says, "No harm done, young master. I'm glad that you like what you see. This is all Lord Velios' work. He created this land with his magic and his vision. He wanted to make a paradise for his people and his allies."

Ah! The classic trend where everybody is either a baddy or a good guy returns. Well at least it's not a place where everybody is jacka**.

I feel impressed and curious by his words. He created this land with his magic? Still, if this is a glimpse of his power, then can I do it too? But more importantly, how did he do that?

We reach the end of the corridor and stop in front of a door. Zalazar opens it and says, "This is your room, young master. You can rest here until noon. If you need anything, just call me or any of the other liches. We will be happy to serve you."

He bows and leaves me alone in the room. I enter and close the door behind me. I look around and see a simple but comfortable room. There is a bed, a closet, a desk, a chair, a lamp, and a window.

I sigh and sit on the bed. I feel tired and stressed. I don't know what to do next. How am I going to fight Lila? How am I going to survive this day? I decided to create a piece of paper and began listing off each weapon that might help me and how much Mp it will cost. Then my head wanders to Lila's looks and shivers. The Virgin succubus charm is terrifying.