Picking up one of the left-over animal corpses, I walked over to the sitting Succubus.

As I approached her, Soea tensed almost imperceptibly, shifting her position slightly. She shifted closer towards me in what seemed like a subconscious reaction, a slight shiver going through her exposed skin.

She looked curious, wondering what I was going to be doing with the dead animal, tilting her head cutely.

Forcing my gaze away from her, I looked at the animal in my hands and slit its throat with a fingernail. I collected the blood into a sphere, like I did before, and floated it a small distance away from my hand but within easy reach.

I reached forward, my fingertip lightly brushing her skin as I gently and carefully painted a Symbol on her forehead. Her skin trembled slightly at my touch. Her eyes were focused on my finger the whole time, to the point where she went cross-eyed.

Seriously adorable.

Seeing comprehension appear in her eyes, I knew that she understood what I was doing. With a thought, using a subconscious use of mana, she dried all of the sweat and other bodily fluids on her skin. She also took the chance to dry and fix her hair.

As I withdrew my hand, to get more blood, she stilled herself so as to not mess up my drawing.

Using blood as paint and my finger as a brush, I started drawing the final touches of the spell. Moving my hands along the soft skin of her face, I finished the first Sigil.

I had to cover most of her body with blood Sigils, she giggled quietly as I drew on her neck and shoulders.

Goosebumps rose on her arms as I drew on them.

One of the places that I didn't have to draw a Sigil was on her chest, which I didn't know if it made me feel happy or upset.

As I drew a complex Sigil on her flat stomach, I felt the muscles spasming slightly under my fingertip and she let out a soft moan.

Then I started working on the parts that I both looked forward to and dreaded in equal parts. Drawing on her calves was fine, though her legs twitched slightly as I drew on the back and she let out a slight giggle, it seems that she was a little ticklish there.

Luckily I didn't have to draw on her ribs.

When I reached her thighs, I tried to keep myself composed and ignore her trembling and light moans, which was quite difficult.

Sweat beaded both of our foreheads, I felt like my head was filled with her scent, her skin was flushed and alluring.

Soea stared at my face, into my eyes, not looking away the entire time I drew the symbols on her thighs, covering them completely. I heard the soft whimpers escaping her mouth and felt her clasping my free arm, not impeding my work, just holding me.

Even though I had finished the Sigil, I found myself still touching her thighs, still stroking them. Just up and down, instead of drawing. I had subconsciously used my mana to dry the blood so that it wouldn't interfere.

Soea's whimpers turned into gasps, which sounded almost wet, her lips were parted.

The small spasms in her skin and the way that her muscles trembled finally drew me back, I barely managed to take control of my mind again and shook my head to clear it.

"My lord..." She almost moaned as I withdrew my hand.

I looked deeply into her large eyes, which were filled with anticipation.

"I'm sorry, but I must continue the spell." I leaned close and murmured into her ear without thinking, she shivered as my breath brushed her skin. Closing her eyes for a few seconds, she managed to get herself back under control as well.

After I saw her rationality return, I walked around and started to draw the last of the Sigils on her back.

Her skin still shivered with my touch, her body trembling, I could feel her heart speed up and her breathing get more intense. Her tail moved and gently coiled around my leg.

While I found her reactions enticing, I tried to ignore it, but I did grab one of her hands as it started to slide down her stomach in a way that seemed partially subconscious, or instinctual.

Feeling my hand grab hers, she turned her hand over and grabbed me back. Her slim fingers entwined around mine, her palm was covered in sweat again.

"My lord, my lord." She softly called to me as her hand tightened.

Her other hand seemed almost lonely as it rested on the ground, her fingers clenching and curling rhythmically along with her shivers and slight muscle spasms.

After what seemed like an eternity, I was finished, Soea sighed as my hand stopped moving and reluctantly parted from her skin.

I didn't release her hand, because when I started to loosen my grip, she made an incoherent sound of objection and grabbed on more tightly.

She grabbed my arm with her other hand and stopped my movement.

Other than her chest, ribs, back of the neck and lower arms, her body was covered in blood Sigils.

She was like a work of art.

I used my magic to make sure that the last of the blood was dry and set.

Seeing this, Soea leaned forwards and wrapped her body around my arm, which she still gripped firmly.

I felt a soft sensation on my upper arm. She pulled my hand down, gripping it with her supple, yet subtly muscled thighs. Her breasts pillowed my upper arm.

She seemed to need this at the moment, so I let her be.

Her eyes were shut and she was trembling from head to toe. She was squeezing my arm as I sat behind her and let her hold me.

Luckily the enemies weren't too close.

After a few minutes Soea opened her eyes and stilled herself, "I am so sorry my lord, for losing control." She looked at me with puppy eyes.

Even if she had done something that made me mad, I wouldn't have been able to stay mad at her, she was so cute.

"It's fine," I spoke soothingly and stroked her hair, while gently pulling my other arm out of her grip. Though when I moved my fingers, she gasped and squirmed.

But she finally, and very reluctantly, released me.

Soea took a few more seconds to calm down again, and then she started to investigate the symbols drawn onto her body. She seemed rather intrigued as she traced the outline of a few of them, she had seen magic before, but nothing like this.

Clapping softly to draw Soea's attention, I started to explain how to use her part of the magic.

"Push your mana into the Sigils on your body, they will link into the ones on the floor. The mana will be shaped and then stored. Then just wait for my signal and cast your Thrall creation spell, using the mana stored as well as the mana in your body."

"Yes, my lord," Soea responded seriously, she stared at my face. I found myself staring into her damp eyes, like glowing sapphire oceans, trying to pull me in.

She was silently asking me something though I was unsure what it was, her glowing irises grew much larger as her pupils dilated. Seeming to find what she wanted, or a lack of what she feared, her tail slowly snaked out of the circle and over to me.

Her tail moved slowly, hesitantly.

Intently watching my reaction, and seeing no negative response, the tip of her tail rose and started to stroke my arm. After stroking me a few times, the soft and snakelike tail curled around it.

Her tail gripped my arm softly, but it tensed subconsciously when I moved my arm slightly, like she was trying to keep me in place.

Strangely, I found this adorable.

So I decided to allow her to do as she wished, within reason. The enemies were fairly near the castle and I needed to keep my reasoning. When she seemed to get overly excited again, her breathing speeding up, I realized that I had been stringing her along a little too much.

I muttered an apology and gently unwrapped her tail from around my arm.

I had to tear my eyes away from her still naked body before I could turn and walk over to the throne and sit down.

Soea was staring at me, her shaking hands were partially stretched out towards me, like she wanted to stop me leaving, to hold me.

She should probably get dressed again soon, but I didn't have time to suggest it, or so I rationalized to myself.

I reason that I had left so quickly to the throne was soon revealed, a thunderous explosion reverberated as the castle shook so hard that chips of stone fell from the ceiling.

It seemed that the enemies had finally arrived and were knocking on the stronger wards that I had placed around the castle proper.

Such a loud doorbell.

Poor Soea and the Thrall winced, covering their ears with their hands, their eyes widening in surprise. Well, both of them had only just gotten enhanced abilities, sudden and very loud noises would be both surprising and painful.

They would need to control their bodies better.

It seemed like I had been waiting for these intruders for an eternity, they sure took their sweet time, keeping me waiting. Well, now the insects had finally turned up, it would be rude of me, as a host, to not show them a proper welcome.

 They had taken it into their hands to damage my castle. I had felt my wards break. I did deliberately build them to be weak, but still...

It would be very easy to fix the castle after the combat was complete.

Even though my wards fell, the building kept shaking. It seems that the enemies were hell bent on destroying the castle itself, from the foundation up.

The explosions came at regular intervals and getting rather repetitive, and the noise was starting to annoy me, not allowing me to read and hurting my poor minion's ears.

Though to be honest, I didn't care that the Thrall was getting hurt.

Annoy or hurt as much as you wish, but hurt my companions or anyone important to me and I will eradicate you, erase you from existence.

I had only laid weak wards, so as to instil into the enemies the delusion that they could threaten me in some way, building a false hope in them. It was fun to watch your enemy's face as you see the hope draining from their eyes, replaced by despair.

As I said before, I am not a nice person.

Of course, I didn't put any effort into the wards, otherwise it would take an army of Church 'Ward Breakers' at the Cardinal rank or higher, to get in here.

Even then it would take them several days.

If I was really serious, it would require the Pope or a Hero to get through, since I knew Soul Wards and Spatial magic.

Suddenly an especially loud explosion thundered, breaking off a piece of the ceiling, which fell and hit Soea. She winced in pain, though the damage wasn't enough to even break her skin.

I felt a surge of irritation and accidentally released a small amount of my aura.

Soea gasped and looked up at me, her eyes widening and her whole body stiffened as though she was hit by lightning. Then with a soft noise, she prostrated herself onto the floor, pressing her forehead against the cold stone.

I had seen this reaction many times when people felt my aura.

The pressure from my aura was enough to cause weak enemies to literally explode.

It seemed that Soea couldn't raise her head as she weakly whimpered and squeezed out the words, "My lord?"

"Sorry." It seems that something wasn't right with me, I hadn't slipped up like that for a very long time. Quickly hiding my aura again, I walked over to my prostrate minion.

Reaching down, I laid my hand softly on her trembling shoulder, causing her to look up at me with puppy eyes, as though she thought that she was in trouble.

"I accidentally let out some of my aura. Seeing you getting hurt annoyed me." I stroked her back, trying to reassure her.

I don't know how much fear she felt by then, and from what I glimpsed of her face, she looked rather pleased more than anything else.

"My lord, I am not worthy." She looked into my eyes, I could see tears gathering again.

Her tail and wings twitched.

She liked to call me that, I definitely wasn't used to being called 'My lord', and especially not in that tone. So much submission and affection in her voice, it felt wrong.

It was wrong.

I had forced this on her when I used Demonic Conversion.

I had to refocus my mind, and shake off the strong feeling of discomfort.

This was why I could never be in charge of anything, no matter how powerful I am or how powerful I become.

If people trust and depend on you this much, it is guaranteed that you will hurt them, fail them.

"The noise is making it difficult for me to concentrate, it is slightly annoying." I said the first thing that popped into my head, glancing toward the sound of the explosions.

However, I didn't expect Soea's reaction.

A massive murderous aura rolled off her, a blood thirst that managed to slightly surprise me. Well, the surprise was because I couldn't have pictured my cute little minion feeling this way.

Seeing Soea about to jump to her feet, her fangs bared and her tail lashing, in annoyance this time. I reached out and gently placed a hand on her head, stroking her hair gently and slowly.

She was actually shaking with rage, though when I touched her, her violent aura instantly vanished. She became her cute and disturbingly submissive self.

It seemed that someone annoying me was enough to make her want to rip them to shreds. Though the small pain from the impact, and her nervousness about the task that I had given her, probably made her act so impulsively.

Making sure that Soea had relaxed from my stroking her hair. I gently cupped her narrow and delicate chin with my other hand, raising her face and meeting her eyes.

"Thank you for your loyalty, and your desire to help, but I require you to stay in this circle, ready to cast the spell at any time."

As I spoke, her eyes widened and her pupils dilated, the tip of her tail twitched in happiness. She blushed a deep red which contrasted nicely with her alabaster skin, "Anything for my lord."

She really was loyal, though she thought much too highly of me.

One day she would understand that I am neither a great person nor a good person, hopefully before I failed too badly and got her injured.

Her reaction was more extreme than I expected from the spell, something seemed slightly strange. I couldn't understand it.

I knew that I was just an ex-Hero with a grudge. A grudge against a powerful Younger God, who, if he knew I was alive, would kill me as viciously as possible the first chance he got.

Both powerful in physical and magical capabilities, though my magic was quite a lot more powerful, but I wasn't perfect.

I had failed many people, even with my power, I had lost so many people.

While this odd exchange of ours was going on, I noticed that the explosions had ceased. It seemed that the last ward had been destroyed and the enemies would soon be approaching the Throne Room doors.

As though to prove my guess correct, a few seconds later the sound of footsteps reached my ears. They were within a few metres of the doors, it was time.

Soea tensed slightly, though she made sure not to move my face from my grip, her eyes turned and followed mine. Both of us focused on the door.

She was obviously ready, and happy, to play her part in my plan.

I felt her muscles tremble again, this time it was from anticipation instead of fear or arousal.

Such an adorably enthusiastic little Demon, again I felt an odd feeling that I hadn't for a very long time.

The Thrall looked at me for approval.

It was time for our plan to start.

When I nodded, and released Soea's chin, much to her disappointment, the Thrall opened the Throne Room doors.

He had been standing by them since Soea had finished feeding on him.

Time to welcome my new visitors, my new minions.