[Spirit of Lust] Chapter 99: The worst crime. (Patreon)

After about 20 minutes of waiting, William’s nose started to pick up the strong smell of roasting meat coming from the improvised chimney. Was the celebration starting? The looks of envy on the two guards’ faces hinted so. After 15 more minutes, the voices coming from inside the cave were loud enough to echo through the tunnels and be heard from outside as lively murmurs that made the guards even more restless.

Actually… It might have been more than just envy.

‘Yeah, I’m curious too, but it’s time to move, Will. Let’s do the you-know-what.’

Will nodded to the two incubi and crawled closer to the guards again as silently as he could. Once close enough, he started the plan. Affecting them at the same time was too difficult, so he went for the red one first.

William sent short, invisible pulses of sexual energy from the palm of his hand to the red oni, noticing it was working both by the rise in his lust and how uncomfortable he looked. The oni turned his eyes back to the cave every other second, and after receiving a good amount of sexual energy he even began to sweat.

Then it was time to attack the blue one. This one kept his eyes looking upwards towards the cliffs while his body shook with need. Will was being subtle enough that they must have believed their increased desire was due to knowing what would be happening inside the cave.

Will worked at it slowly, careful not to send any powerful signals that could give him away. He doubted the oni had the ability to sense sexual energy like the incubi did, but perhaps they could sense it as an unknown source of magic, kind of like how Nanami could. He wouldn’t risk it. He had too much to go back to.

His meddling with their minds finally reached the point where the oni couldn’t take it anymore. They looked at each other with guilty frowns and quickly turned around, running inside the cave and uttering a name at the same time that took William aback.

“Lady Ariana!” they screamed in low, desperate voices.

‘Ariana? Wasn’t that the name of a succubus?

‘Yes, yes it was. But don’t just stand there, Will! This is what we were waiting for! Sneak in!’

Will entered the damp tunnel several steps behind the distracted oni. It was dark, but not so much that he couldn’t see. Not five meters into the tunnel was a fork in the path with a second tunnel opening to the left, which was where the oni ran into. Will carefully peeked inside and saw it all. It was a small cave, dark but lit by a single, dim white light that Will couldn’t identify well. It looked like a crystal of some kind. It was thanks to that light that he was able to see what really mattered.

Eight wooden stakes were stuck to the rocky walls. To each stake was tied a glowing, purple rope. Each of those ropes held a woman prisoner, and seeing them set Will’s mind at odds with itself. On one hand, those women were stunning. They had different hair lengths and colors, different chest seizes and general body frames, but it was impossible for anyone alive not to admit they were all unnaturally beautiful. Even with the horns coming out of their heads, their pale-ish skin or the leathery wings and tails giving them away as unnatural, no man would say no to them. But on the other hand, they were a sorry, sorry sight. They laid on a fine line between life and death. Their skin was almost white, their bodies soiled with dirt, their eyes lost. They were tied with their hands up, leaning against the walls of the cave. No sound came from them, but Will could tell they were alive. The signals of sexual energy coming from them were even weaker than the incubi. These were the succubi that had been kidnapped, and the sight of them made Ishtar quiver with cold fury.

“L-Lady Ariana! You’re still here!” said the red oni, his hoarse voice carried by a sigh of relief.

“W-Would you let us… do it with you, please?” asked the blue oni with a lightly nasal voice. “It’ll be quick! We promise!”

Will frowned. The succubus they were asking permission to was one of long and deep black hair and small but not totally flat chest. Like all other women here, she was naked and tied up by the wrists, but even in her weakened state, she looked at the two oni with smoky eyes and a small, sultry smile.

“What? You boys want a taste before your chief gets a turn?” Her voice was low and weak, but teasing. “Are you sure you won’t get in trouble?”

The oni shared a troubled expression.

“Fine, do what you want. I can’t feel a thing anyway…” Ariana sighed. Her legs quivered, as if she was trying to spread her legs herself, but couldn’t.

With the attention of the oni fully on the succubus on front of them, William made his move. The oni were too horny to notice him. He moved behind them, and when they leaned down to approach the succubus, Will punched them in the back of the head with fists heavy with sexual energy. Much to his surprise, it was an instant knockout. They fell on their stomachs, making minimal noise from having leaned down. He didn’t bother to check if they were dead, as their lust was present even in that state.

“…Huh? Who are you…?” Ariana asked, voice even lower than before and her eyes looking slightly more awake.

“I’m here on Azazel’s behalf,” Will said and immediately began to inspect the ropes.

“Azazel? He’s alive!?”

“Him and a few others, but only in a slightly better condition than you. I’m getting you all out of here.”

The succubi around began to turn their heads, a semblance of light returning to their eyes. Yet they were all smart enough to keep quiet. Will tried to untie the rope, but the knot was too tight. Stranger was that, when his fingers touched it, he felt himself being drained of energy, fingers and arms loosing strength until he pulled them away.

‘…What!?’

Will clicked his tongue. “What the fuck are these ropes?”

“…Aether infused ropes made specifically to suck on sexual energy,” Ariana said, weakly biting her lip. She looked like she’d cry at any moment, but was too dry for even tears. “They knew that if they raped us we’d only grow stronger, so they brought these fucking ropes…!! We can’t feel anything! Like feeding ashes to a starving dog!”

Will’s chest suddenly began to burn and he started seeing red. His body shook from rage not his own, but Ishtar’s. It was clear as water, and Will finally understood. The way Ishtar felt his emotions must’ve been just like this. Pure, utter disgust that could almost make him vomit and anger that needed an outlet right fucking now.

Ishtar described herself as a being who personified the concept of sex from the simple act to the love for it. To deprive beings who, like her, needed it to survive, was nothing but the worst crime.

‘Will, change of plans. I’m murdering those sons of bitches.’