[Spirit of Lust] Chapter 86: There and back again. (Patreon)

“Help, Lady Ishtar?” Azazel asked, still kneeling down but looking at her with stunned eyes. All incubi were still fully naked, but somehow it didn’t seem unnatural on them.

“Reina said you saved their lives. How did that happen? And remember, you can’t lie to me.” Ishtar said, sitting with one leg over the other and with arms crossed, trying to look all intimidating.

Azazel swallowed. It was working! “There was a group of stray kobolds nearby. They are small, dragon-like humanoid creatures. They were about to harm Ms. Reina and Ms. Ruth, so… we killed them.”

“In hopes of getting laid, clearly,” Ishtar sighed. “No matter. Fact remains you saved my partner’s girls. We’ll pay that debt.” At least, that was Ishtar’s excuse. “How much did you manage to feed from the show?”

The incubi looked at each other, and one of them, this one a buff dude, stepped up before kneeling and speaking. “All four of us got a small sip. Since we were only watching…”

“I know. Watching from afar is less efficient than participating. I know how sexual energy works,” Ishtar said. “So the four of you got some? That means…” She turned her gaze back to Azazel.

“Azazel was last in line,” the buff dude said.

So their entrance stopped them before their chief could get anything, huh? “Putting your people before you? Aren’t you a nice guy,” Ishtar said, grinning.

“…It’s my responsibility,” he answered solemnly, unaffected by the teasing. Boring guy, too.

“Well? Then how did you feed before things turned sour for you? You must’ve had a group of women with you, right?”

“We used to be a tribe of 30 incubi and succubi,” Azazel explained. “Our village got attacked during a festival. Most of our warriors were killed and our succubi kidnapped. We were hoping to regain our strength to attempt a rescue, but…”

“Aha. So it’s easy then,” Ishtar nodded. “I’ll go and get your women back. Then we’ll call it even.”

The collective shock from the incubi and even Nanami echoed in the living room.

“Will-! I mean, I-Ishtar! You can’t mean that, right?” the girl asked. “We have no idea what’s out there!”

“We came here to find that out, didn’t we?” Ishtar shrugged. “Or do you not want to find your aunt? I’m sure these guys would be able to help.”

“If you’re looking for another woman, we did sense one walking away from here. We didn’t pursue and we’ve lost track of her, but we could find her if were in better condition,” Azazel said.

“R-Really!?”

“They’re not lying, at least. Okay, I’ve made up my mind. Our priority right now is taking the people here back to our world, then I’ll come back and give you losers a hand. The hole is still there, isn’t it, Nanami?”

“Y-Yeah.”

The incubi shared an understandable, yet nevertheless irritating look of uneasiness. They’d be taking away their only means to feed and leaving. There was nothing that guaranteed Will and Ishtar’s return, and though four of them had fed, it wasn’t enough to let them recover their strength, simply enough to sustain them for a few more days. They had no power over her and Will.

But…

‘You’re not allowed to call me a softie ever again.’

‘Shut the fuck up and go back to sulking.’

‘I wish I could, but we have no time for that, do we?’

‘Good. If you’d been like that much longer I would’ve started to lose respect for you.’

‘Keep control of my body for now, since you’re the one who can open the hole back to our world.’

‘What will you do about those two?’

‘…I’d like to let them rest first. They look exhausted. Then I’ll apologize for my…overreaction.’

‘Then let’s make our way back.’

“We’ll come back tomorrow, but tell me what we’re dealing with so we can come prepared.”

“…A group of six to ten eastern ogres, or oni,” Azazel explained. “They’re big, strong, intelligent enough to have a chain of command, and have made camp in a cave with plenty of food. They’re armed with swords, bows and spears.”

Another incubus grit his teeth and punched the floor. “They’re probably having their way with our women as we speak.”

Ishtar scowled, her hand tightly gripping her arm to prevent her anger from showing. “Actual monsters, then,” she said. “Alright, we’re going. Will and I are fine with this place, but I can’t believe normal people are taking it well. If what you said about us leaving a mark on Reina and Ruth, then I bet the reason they’re even awake is because they’ve experienced something similar to aether already.”

‘Sexual energy, right?’

‘Of course.’

“Will you really come back?” Azazel asked, glancing down at the floor, unable to meet her eyes.

“I will, which is why you should stay here. Watch over the building and tell me if you see another woman who kind of looks like her.” Ishtar pointed to Nanami.

“Ah! She has long black hair and dark brown eyes,” the girl added. “But… be wary of her. She’s strong.”

“Very well,” Azazel nodded.

“Um… Ishtar?” Reina’s voice called from behind the couch. She and Ruth came back from her room, already dressed in the clothes they’d taken with them. “What’s happening now?”

“We’re going back. I have no idea how Nanami’s aunt transported a whole building here, but I can only open the hole so much. We’ll need to get everyone through it.”

“We can really go back…!?” Ruth asked, not yet daring to smile.

“That’s what Will and I came here to do,” Ishtar said, flashing a confident smile. “Nanami was the one who told us what happened, though, so we really have her to thank.”

“Thank you very much!” Reina and Ruth echoed.

“Ah! It was nothing,” the Asian girl laughed awkwardly. “I simply told William what happened…”

“Save your thanks for when we’re truly out of here. We’ll need to carry everyone down to the basement,” Ishtar groaned. “Think you guys can help out?”

“Azazel, leave it to us,” said the buff incubus. “We have enough strength to do this. You need to keep what little you have left.”

“…I’m sorry.” Azazel hung his head in shame, and even from what little they had talked with him, Ishtar saw it as a testament to how weak he felt.

It was a huge pain and it took a long time, but they were able to carry all 41 people from their apartments to the basement. Once everyone was through, Ishtar bid the incubi goodbye for the moment and made her final return trip.

They now had a situation with over 40 people unconscious in the basement of a building in the real world and no way to explain it.

“You can leave this to me,” Nanami told them, reaching for her phone. “I know the people who deal with cases like this.”

“…Who are you?” Reina asked her.

“Nanami Nakano,” she Asian girl answered, smiling wryly. “Former investigator of the supernatural, I guess.”

“Your phone works?” Ruth asked.

“It’s special,” Nanami nodded and started texting.

‘Can you handle it from here?’

‘Yeah. I need to talk to Reina and Ruth, too.’

‘We’re switching, then.’

Ishtar surrendered control back to William. He seemed a little dizzy from the change in atmosphere, but was otherwise okay.

“Reina, Ruth,” he spoke, his tone soft. He kept his eyes busy on the unconscious people, not because he was worried about them, but because he felt too ashamed to look the girls in the eyes. “I want you to stay at my place tonight. In case anything happens.”

“…William?” Reina asked, confirming.

Will nodded.

The girls shared a silent look and smiled at each other.

“Nanami, can I borrow your phone?” Ruth asked. “I need to tell my roommate I won’t be back tonight.”

Reina walked up to Will, and he had to resist the instinct to step back. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him gently. “Thank you for going to get us,” she whispered.

He didn’t think the thanks were deserved, but at that moment, Will wanted nothing more than to reassure them. He gave in and got a single arm around Reina’s shoulders.