“About time!” I shook my head. “I've killed more monsters than I can count.”
Lapia nodded, “True. That's just how it works, unfortunately. You needed a large amount of E'er.”
I sighed, “Yeah. Let's go back inside.”
Lapia used fire magic to burn the blood off the ground, then we left the patio.
Back inside the palace, we walked in silence towards the room where the King was resting.
After turning a corner, Lapia sighed and spoke up.
“You know... I don't mean to impose my values on you.”
I turned to her with a fair amount of confusion, “Where is this coming from?”
“The torture thing,” she shrugged.
“Ah,” I nodded. “Not a problem. Freedom of thought and all that.”
“I had figured being with you meant that at some point I'd see you going about the task of protecting,” she bit her lips. “But I didn't know it'd be so...” she struggled to find the words.
Her voice tickled my ears and I listened with religious attention.
“Uncompromising?” I offered.
She slowly nodded with a pensive expression.
“Lapia, how true do you think the Demon's claim was about Changelings?”
She shrugged, “Dubious at best. And well... it wouldn't change anything in my eyes.”
I hummed, “I haven't seen one yet, what do they look like?”
“What do you mean?” she sounded a little confused. “They're Changelings... they can change their appearance. Maybe you saw a few already?”
I shrugged, “Maybe. Don't you think it's ironic that the people who allegedly mind controlled Elena were Changelings, supposedly descendants of Demons... whose world was ruined due to a form of mind control?”
Lapia exhaled through her nose, “That'd be tragic, if true.”
“Poetic, in a way,” I chuckled.
She nodded, “In a very morbid way.”
I stared at her and slowed down until I stopped.
She turned around and raised an eyebrow at me.
Her almond-shaped, emerald green eyes inspected my face for a few seconds. Her lips glistened a little, and I found myself lost in her beauty.
I stored my gauntlets along with the leather gloves and closed into her with a step. I gently took her face in my hands and caressed her cheeks.
“What?” she gave me a warm smile.
I licked my lips and she imitated me. My chest warmed up and my loins tickled. A smile split my lips and I giggled.
She raised both eyebrows, “What?”
“You're beautiful, Lapia,” I whispered, running a thumb over her left eyebrow.
She closed her left eye and blushed.
“Thank you,” she smiled and giggled. “You're all over the place. What's on your mind?”
I let out a hot sigh and kissed her.
She reciprocated and we shared a smooch on the hallway.
I separated first and smiled, “Nothing. Just showering you with love.”
Lapia nodded and laughed, “You know... I'm really horny right now. I don't know what happened but after we met the Demon I've been growing increasingly horny.”
“Hooh?” I arched an eyebrow. “A quicky in a room somewhere?”
Her eyes widened and she playfully pushed me away, then hissed, “Natasha! This is the Royal Palace. Besides, I'm a functioning adult. I can hold out until tonight.”
“Royal Palace?” I giggled. “That sounds like a poor excuse you pulled out of your ass.”
She smirked.
Oh, no, I lamented my choice of words.
She slowly said, “The only thing I can fit in my ass... is your fat cock.”
My face burned and I bit my lips. “This is the Royal Palace!” I imitated her tone.
Her eyes widened in mock offense, “You dare use my own words against me?!” she brought a hand to her chest and pulled a pained expression. “The hurt of betrayal!”
I swallowed and retorted, “The only pain you'll feel is my cock stretching your ass.”
After the words left my mouth my face burned with the strength of a thousand suns along a large serving of cringe.
Lapia's eyes widened and a huge smile spread on her face, “That was really good. Your dirty jokes are improving.”
I shrugged and tried another, “In the end we both know who the butt of the joke will be.”
“HAHAHA!” she hugged her stomach and leaned back.
I placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into a hug, then laughed with her.
“That'd be a point for me,” I concluded, kissing her cheeks.
She giggled and nodded, “Without a doubt.”
After walking for a while we arrived at the corridor where our destination was.
The Royal Guard was watching over the door and bowed to us when we approached.
I knocked on the door and opened it.
I should have waited for a reply.
The room was empty save for Gordon and Josalia. Fully naked on the bed.
My eyes widened at the sight of the Queen's head between the King's legs, giving him more than emotional support.
His turquoise eyes met mine and his white feline ears stood at attention.
“Sorry!” I yelped and closed the door.
I gripped the handle too tightly, resulting in the thing coming off the door.
“Shit!” I hissed and stuck my index finger on the hole, keeping the door shut.
Lapia's eyes were as wide as they could be.
One of the Royal Guards turned to me with panic in her eyes, “Are Their Majesties alright?”
“Oh, more than alright,” Lapia replied, holding back laughter.
“Please wait a minute!” the Queen called from inside the room.
Silence followed while we waited.
Lapia's shoulders shook with mirth.
I was fighting a battle inside me.
They don't shame sex. They don't shame sex. They don't shame sex, I chanted in my mind, reminding myself of the openness this world had in regards to sexual behaviors.
I felt a pull from the other side of the door but didn't budge due to my strength.
“Your Excellency, please let go of the door,” the Queen requested with an amused voice.
I freed my fingers and took a step back, “Done.”
The door opened and the Queen gave us a smile, “Apologies for the delay.”
I shook my head, “No, no. Apologies for the interruption.”
The Queen laughed and took a step aside, “Please, come in.”
I sighed and entered the room followed by Lapia.
The Queen closed the door and I felt the E'er in the room shift. She walked to the bed and sat next to the King.
Gordon was blushing and his ears were pressed against his head, “Natasha... You timing was...” he fought a smile. “Excellent.”
Lapia choked on laughter, and the Queen covered her mouth.
Not word plays on my title, please! I sighed in my mind.
I cleared my throat, “Well, I'm glad to see you're a loving couple.”
The Queen nodded with a proud smile and the King let out an amused chuckle.
“Anyway,” I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “Serious talk now.”
The joy left their faces and they nodded with serious faces.
“I succeeded in finding the Demon,” I dropped the bomb. “It was passing as kitchen staff.”
The Queen's eyes squinted at my words and her ears twitched once, “Was?”
I nodded, “I killed it.”
'That...” the King began, then his voice turned complicated, “was faster than I had hoped.”
I tapped my nose and gave him a wink.
The Queen stood up and rushed to me, then wrapped me in a tight hug. Her shoulders trembled and she fought back tears.
“Thank you, Your Excellency!” she sobbed. “Thank you so much!”
I patted her back and nodded.
“I would hug you as well,” Gordon gave me a tight smile. “But I'm naked below the waist.”
I bit my lips and looked up at the ceiling of the room, then shook my head.
“Get your ass here!” the Queen hissed at him. “She just saved your life!”
“Fine...” he grumbled and wrapped the bed sheet around his body. He stood from the bed and walked to a side table where he picked a thin ring. He put it on his index finger and then dropped the bed covers.
Fortunately he had put wearing a pair of loose pants on, so his kitty didn't greet the world.
The man made his way over to me and patted my shoulder, “You have my gratitude.”
“Well, aren't you a bit cold now?” I joked with a broad smile. “Anyway, do you want to see the corpse? To confirm the kill or something?”
He looked down and gulped, “If at all possible, please.”
The Queen let me go and took a few steps back, then wiped a few tears off her face.
Yep, I was definitely too harsh on her, I concluded.
Lapia walked behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder.
I turned my head to her.
She gave me a wink.
Extending a hand, I let the corpse of the Demon fall on the ground from my storage.
The King winced and looked away, then nodded.
“My,” the Queen stared at it with inspecting eyes. “So this is a Demon?”
I nodded, “A Felyareth.”
She scoffed, “Foul creature.”
I crouched and stored the corpse, then looked up at Gordon, “I was thinking I could spend the night here. Just to make sure.”
The Queen gestured for me to stop, “Please, stand up.”
I sighed and straightened up, “What do you think about that?”
Gordon nodded and walked back to the bed, where he sat down, “Do you think there's another one?”
I shrugged, “It said it was alone, but I don't trust its words one bit.”
The two rulers nodded.
“By the way,” I began, walking to a chair and sitting on it. “Can you tell me what is known about Demons?”
The Queen shrugged, “They originate from Hell, are part of the Cursed Ones, and not much else.”
“I see,” I nodded. “Pretty lacking.”
“They don't show up very often, and are usually dealt with quickly and without a trace,” Gordon supplied. “Not even their forms are known, as you might already have guessed.”
“Hmm...” I rubbed my chin, thinking of writing up an encyclopedia of Demons. I didn't know their names so it'd be a bit useless in that aspect. My drawing skills would be immensely helpful when drawing them and giving them shape so that people could recognize them easily.
The Queen approached and stopped in front me, “Your Excellency. You have helped us in a way I cannot thank enough. If there's anything you wish, I'd be more than happy to fulfill it to the best of my abilities.”
I shook my head, “Don't worry about it. Just doing my job.” I stopped and chuckled. “It's not even my job. More like my raison d'être.”
The Queen took a step closer and looked into my eyes, “I insist. Anything you want, I will do.”
An idea popped into my head and I gave the Queen a sly grin, “Anything, you say?”
She blushed and her eyes widened a little, then she whispered in a very quiet voice, “If you wish for it, it will happen. I'm not one to shy away if I have to use my body to show my gratitude.”
I gaped at the woman, “What?” my voice came out barely a whisper.
Then, realization struck me.
My eyes opened wide and I stood up. My face burned in second-hand embarrassment, “Not like that! That's not what I mean at all!”
She covered her mouth and her blush intensified, “My. Apologies, Your Excellency. Your tone and expression were just so attractive I- By the Gods. What am I saying?”
A sweet fragrance tickled my nose. I felt a little ominous feeling and looked at where I had dropped the Demon. There were a couple drops of blood on the floor. A sigh left me and I retrieved a towel from my storage and walked to it, then wiped it clean. I produced a bottle of alcohol and poured it on the wooden floor, then cleaned again. I repeated the process until I couldn't smell the scent anymore.
Even after death, Demons are a pain in the ass! I hissed in my mind and stood up.
“Your Excellency?” the Queen had observed my actions without saying anything. “I hope I didn't offend you.”
I shook my head and chuckled, “You didn't. The Demon's blood apparently increases sexual appetite or whatever it's called. Gets you horny, basically.”
“Oh, my,” she covered her mouth. “Still, I apologize for my lapse in judgment.”
“HAHAHA!” the King slapped the bed in joy. “Josalia, did you just? This is amazing. I'll remember this for a century at the very least! Finally something to even our odds!”
The Queen blushed and gave the King a chastising glare, “Oh, no. You won't!”
I laughed at their interaction. Their relationship was a little more interesting than what I expected from Royalty. They felt like young newlyweds.
Life does go on, I concluded with a wide smile.
Glad to see the Queen and King actually like each other. She seemed cold for the first few chapters. Thank you for the chapters!
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
If a Felyareth just feeds off of psychic suffering, and if there's nothing especially mystical or powerful about this King, she was only ever f*cking with him for the fun of it. Literally *right next door* is the nation's magical suffering pain prison, where she probably wouldn't have even had to work to eat her fill, and no one would ever have noticed her presence if she did.
Heh, nice chapter. Iirc we didn't see any anal action with our heroines, so I always thought they just weren't into that. I might've been wrong.
Ty for the chapter!
Too busy using the vaginas, fingers and tails. Not enough d*ck to go around xD
@Jessy XD
Thanks for the chapter!~
Wait, so let me see if I got it all. The demon figured out how to live off of Psychic Pain, and stopped looking for alternatives. Then, after feeding off of countless individuals in the past, it walked past a buffet in a pit to Torture a king in his sleep? It brought this on itself, even if it got a trial they’d probably Sentence her to Death by Natasha because nobody else here could kill her, right?
plus political motivations... don't forget about that.
This is refreshing
Thanks for the chapter
these are some of my favorite chapters (just a little more action next demon tho) keep it up (as in tone down the pop culture)
From murdering a desperate woman in cold blood to dialogue about anal sex. I'm starting to hate Natasha a lot. Her morals are so compromised i wouldn't be surprised if she commits genocide next just because doppelgangers have demons in their linage. Or maybe she will go down to appreciate this kingdoms lifelong torture pits again.
I just do not understand where the author is going with this. Is anyone else as f*cked up about Natasha just murdering that demon last chapter? Is it just me?
@FerrisBewley I don't know. She killed a (mind)rapist and torturer, so your morals are yours alone. I understand if you wish to give the story a 1 and then move on. Completely fine tbh.
Torture pits... prisons? Or you want people to be killed after committing 1 crime? Is tying up people with vastly varying degrees of objective physical power bad? That's for your morals.
I mean, she's the Hellwalker who killed Demons for a million years. What did you expect? That Natasha would f*ck the Demon or something? That she would hear the Demon out after mentally torturing the King?
Is the Demon being female what makes you so biased in favor of it? Would you think the same if those affected became Natasha's partners instead? If Alyssa was raped in her dreams by a male Demon and Natasha killed the Demon, would you still be this angry? Does your moral compass include empathy and sympathy solely for a select few? How would you have felt if Natasha spared a Demon that was raping Alyssa in her dreams? What is the difference if any? Where is your bias?
I wouldn't call the women desperate. Sure, she was after Natasha found her, but that's mute. anyone would be desperate when a halve condemns you. Cant see how this is in cold blood either, this demon, has been (Even if "only" in a dream) murdering the kings loved ones, the people of his kingdom that he loves dearly, and then raping him.
The mental trauma from that is insane, and will leave him mentally scarred for a very long time. not to mention those she has done this to beforehand. she has not been going after the king for all that long.
How would you feel if a demon did the same to someone you love, your mother, father, wife, husband, son, daughter. how would you feel then?
How does killing a being that does such atrocities equate to Natasha going down to appreciate the torture pits? You cant forget that Natasha just spent the last 1,000,000 years on a one man crusade against the whole of Hell. Of course she wont be a perfect hero. She literally EMPTYED hell, of ALL demons that remained inside.
Being a Halve means they have a drive to Protect. Not to be a hero. To do what they must to ensure the best for Everyone, not a select few. If the demons living means it will mind rape and mentally torture many innocent people over its life, why should its life continue?
Natasha is very biased against demons, that's for sure, but she can still think with reason. She wont condemn them all for the actions of one. Right now, (Not Doppelgangers) Changelings are the ones who seem to be actively infiltrating high ranking positions to do something. We already know some are against halves, and are the reason they are being hunted by a few.
Yes, it is doomed to an entire race by the actions of a few (many actually) however, Would you condemn a person if what he does is for survival or would you not be ignorant and kill him anyway like Natasha did?
@Erick09hk Ignorant? what? Would i kill a being for mind f*cking someone if the reason they do it is because of survival? yes. Why let countless innocent beings suffer such? What did they do to be put though that? Why should i put their life over the ones they are torturing?
This demon is not young. And the king has not been mind f*cked for all that long. This is an act of feeding, for them to continue living. what about all those who she fed on before the king? what about those she would target afterwards? what is her life compared to theirs? What would you say to those who were or will be affected when you let the being live.
This demon herself said that after she learnt the first method of feeding they found, she left. Who knows what the other demons have found in order to feed. Natasha wouldnt condemn them all because of the actions of one. Who knows what other methods there are for them to feed. but she choose to stick with something horrible.
@Erick09hk I suppose you let your doors open so people come in and steal your sh*t so they can survive? Lmao, stop being a clown already. You're justifying everyone that has done everything in the name of survival. Effort does not mean right, nor does it make the actions any less wrong.
So what if the survival of the aryans meant the death of the jews?
So what if the survival of communism meant the starvation of the ukranians?
So what if the survival of capitalism means the continuation of the destitute?
So what if survival means abuse?
That's what I read from your comment.
@Biggest-Kusa-Out-There If the demon was just going to die anyway why did you need to make everyone empathize so much with her? Its kinda f*cked that a story that is mainly about romantic relationships and smut needs to be so needlessly cruel. At this point its not a question about survival on Natashas part, Nor is it about "Helping people" by stopping abuse, shes using the same logic that helped kill all those people during the holocaust and dehumanizing an entire people. I wouldn't of been so f*cked up about it if Natasha wasn't so gungho about calling her a thing and giving her no room to listen to her plea. And yes murdering a begging woman just for her race is a little alienating for your audience Kusa.
@Biggest-Kusa-Out-There The demons gender have no bearing on my feeling, Your choice to force us to empathize with it is. Natasha didn't even see it as a living thinking being, just another monster to murder. In a normal story id just complain a bit and move past this, but i just don't think i can see these characters in a good light anymore. Can you at least have the others address how f*cked up Natashas being? Did you not expect people to empathize with somebody who technically did nothing wrong by their birth and then begged to live?
@FerrisBewley Emphasize with it? Did you forget everything that happened before we met it face to face?
Do you remember what the king was like. what his family went through
What they all had to deal with all because of this creature?
@Jessy Yes and i understand why natasha had to kill her i really do. Its just the way she did so that made me hate her to the extent that the story is actively worse. Are you fine with Genocide if a group of people have to harm others to survive?
@FerrisBewley I didn't think I'd have to do this, but I will nonetheles.
The Demon's words were manipulative. I wrote her as a character that would excuse her own actions in the face of confrontation instead of asking for forgiveness (which she didn't). All she did was blame the circumstances she was in and at no point did she adress the man she was directly harming when seeking to be spared.
"My people..."
"I'm not corrupted..."
"This is unfair..."
"How you survived..."
What the demon is doing is relegating responsibility and avoiding being held accountable for her actions through emotional fallacy.
Natasha can't be blamed in any capacity for what happened to Hell because she had lost her mind. If anything, she saved a world and the few people that survived. I don't know if you missed that or you chose to ignore it. I bring it up because it seems you're stuck with the Hero persona she is not and never will be.
Natasha's bias towards Demons has its roots in the dreams she sees every night (plus violent instincts lingering from spending a million years in Hell which she keeps at bay thanks to anger management), and I don't think I have to spoonfeed you that she connected to the King's problems because she experiences the same, though ultimately she has the fortitude to not be driven to insanity by it or have any lasting effect thanks to having her mind repaired while she sleeps (see Halve's racial traits).
Her empathy is first to the King because although apathetic to the fact he resembled her father when facing the uncertainties of life, she was raised by a man (Natasha's mom abandoned her family as mentioned several times already). Natasha is a woman who is very aware of men's problems because of this and being a woman herself (though futanari, still a woman), her thought process is not at all forgiving. She got angry and I showed it with her breaking the bench instead of telling it. There is a lot to see with how I portrayed the scene.
It's fine to be confused and ask what the f*ck is going on if you feel like sh*t gets out of hand or makes no sense, but calling names and writing angry reviews is not conductive to be taken seriously. Like, at all.
@FerrisBewley And if you empathized with the Demon, you were successfully manipulated by her character.
@Biggest-Kusa-Out-There I'll admit when im in the wrong on a given situation and now that Ive had time to think about what you sent ill agree that her actions do seem justifiable. I apologize if Ive offended or made you feel as if you were attacked i was just not expecting so much emotional turmoil in said chapter at the time, and it caught me off guard enough that i lashed out directing emotion that was not entirly based around you story.
@FerrisBewley Oh wow a argument on the internet that ends in understanding from both parties, thats rare especially these days.
Ive been thinking about this story alot recently and how this chapter kinda ruined everything about Natasha for me. I really don't want to bring up old crap you don't want to talk about anymore but i just have to ask considering on the main page you put "All forms of criticism are welcome. English is not my first nor second language, so please let me know if I made any mistakes.". There are some ethical concerns with this part of the story and for many people who weren't prepared for it we react poorly. Did you expect that there would be some controversy with these chapters? What was the purpose with making demons human like and sorta relatible when natasha was just going to kill them anyway, wouldn't it be better to make them monsters or atleast close to? And in your mind was Natasha actually morally correct in her decision?
@FerrisBewley If you relate to mind raping people, idk man.
@Jessy okay... Do you relate to Murdering people then? You can see how utterly nothing that adds to a conversation. I get the feeling that you just want to be right and not think about why people were upset about this chapter and the one before it.
@Jessy Also i get why it happened and am not upset about the why. I just want to get insight into if it will be addressed down the line as a f*cked up situation, or if the author is going to just ignore it from now on.
Bla you know what ive decided i shouldn't of brought it up. This is a bout what i was expecting comment wise.
@FerrisBewley I just genuinely cant see how you are relating to a demon who enters an innocent persons dreams, murders their whole family in front of them, wipes out their kingdom that they love, then f*cks them in the ass. they do that every damn night. it is breaking the kings mind. Let alone what the demon has done before they started doing it to the king, who was important enough for someone who can actually help to come.
This demon did all of that, thinking it was normal. there is no excuse that can be made to get away with that.
From the kings own comments, the demon ENJOYED doing it. Please dont take the demons words from when she was staring death in the face at face value, because EVERYONE will lie their ass off to survive in such a case.
Natasha didnt just shrug off killing the demon like it was another day in hell (because she spent literally 1,000,000 years there killing trillions and trillions of demons and you say nothing about that). There is a reason she asked for the demons name before killing her, so that she can remember her properly.
And no, you cant just let her live, mind raping / mind genocide to a KING, is something that would get ANYONE executed. the fact a halve was needed just exasperates the crime, she knew what she was doing was wrong, and that she would get in trouble for it, there are laws for a reason, but she continued to do so anyways.
The reason i comment as i do, is because i genuinely cant see how ANYONE would relate to such a being.
@FerrisBewley The criticism I ask is contextually about language, not themes nor content, hence the mention that english is my third language.
Don't say 'many' when it's less than 1% of the audience.
No, I expected everyone to have common sense and be against the demon whilst commenting about Natasha's extreme actions with criticism or support, whichever it may be.
The demon is not human-like in any way other than deflecting and victimizing herself. If you relate, in any measure, to a character who knowingly and willingly abuses others for their continued existence I question your own morals and raise concern about your own mental health from a place of worry and not judgement.
While this is fiction and we're free to root for whoever we so choose, taking up arms to try and defend a character inspired by true crime documentaries perpetrators and their manipulative approaches to confrontation, I wonder at the back of my mind if you're a sane individual who would fall prey to them... or worse, be like them.
Now... all this is speculation on my part obviously, but you strike me as the type of person to support the wrong side of history.
Know that you are no longer welcomed in the comment section. I will delete further comments from you since you're attempting to justify things that are disgusting and vile, and things I personally am strongly against.
Know that disparaging the novel due to an event that happens once falls within reportable offenses on SH and RR.
Ratioe'd + don't care + didn't ask + you fell off + rape apologyst.
Since this comment thread has already been Godwin'd, I shall nerco raise it and add two points of context.
First, we have a very solid equivalent in real life... Not a human having to feed on humans or such, I'm referring to human medical experiments. Multiple times in history there have been cases of researchers intentionally inflicting harm or infecting victims in an attempt to gain insight into how to treat patients in similar conditions. Such researchers likely rationalised their actions by saying uncountable lives would be saved at the cost of some limited suffering. Some used criminals, saying their lives and rights were already forfeited so helping keep others alive is acceptable. It is, of course, bullshit. We have rightly decided that harming a few this way cannot be balanced regardless of the benefit.
Secondly... There remains documentary evidence of Hitler in wholesome situations with German children... Of him in family settings or on dates... Of his hobbies such as painting... Of his childhood and such... Seeing Hitler as some kind of single-minded caricature of evil is appealing but it misses the point. Hitler was a human capable of rational thought, pleasant emotions, expressions of positive emotions. He had reasons and probably logic. He almost certainly pooped and was attached to being alive. It is by placing a bad guy in context of them being a person that one can reach an appreciation for what "monster" means. A wild animal can kill but it isn't evil. To be evil, malicious, malevolent, etc, requires at least a base amount of awareness and sapience.