Arc 2: Chimera
Chapter 24: Infiltration Part II
"Well, that depends on your performance, Paul."
Paul had no idea what kind of "performance" Raven wanted him to do, but he was savvy enough to figure out that time was running out. And it was quite literal for Darwin, next in the chopping board for Avon's slaughter of unrepentant men.
The pair of Human and Demon quickly went after the other less harmonious duo. With Raven's "Tracking" Skill that was levels superior to the one Carlos revealed to the entire guild, Paul was able to surmise that Darwin was headed for his special room in the White Chrysanthemum Inn. As a top tier establishment in this side of the entertainment business, the Inn provided ostentatious accommodations that could be reserved by the top brass. Unsurprisingly, the Shifting Sand boss procured one for himself.
As it was just a couple of minutes after midnight, the Inn's usually noisy atmosphere had already muffled down, replaced with ambiguous silence broken down with moans and giggles here and there. Paul and the bird-shaped Raven crossed the threshold without making too much racket; the other matchmakers and staff only gave the commonly seen figure of the young man a small nod here and there. Some took a cursory glance at the crow perched on his shoulder but paid it no mind in the end. After all, who in this world didn't have a pet or two?
Paul did not have the slightest intention to explain the presence of his avian companion - he was sweating buckets at the possibility that Avon might bring the house down with her. Lord Haruki and Consort Monad had strictly stressed that all operations should be carried out in the utmost secrecy. As a Human himself, Paul was well aware of the punishments that befall anyone seen conspiring with Demons, so he was definitely and extremely motivated to stop the Sprig-Eating Duchess from giving in to her impulses.
However, despite his eagerness, obstacles appeared in front of Paul. Security in the floor of the Inn's special rooms were tight, especially for Darwin, who had goons from the Shifting Sand already assigned to the door. Even with his identity as an employee of the Inn, it would be difficult for Paul to get through them.
Raven listened to the Human's complaints as they both hid in the shadows of the staircase leading to the floor. She ruffled her feathers and spoke in a slightly arrogant tone. "Just three Humans of this caliber? It won't be an issue for me."
Hesitation was clear on Paul's face. "Are you sure? These are Darwin's best bodyguards, I heard they're geared with some fancy combat arts. Also, aren't Lust Demons not good at fighting?"
In response, Raven quickly transformed back to her humanoid form. She took out a dagger from her belt, its blade glittering in the darkness. "True, we aren't the best combatants around, but you're gravely mistaken if you think of us as nothing but helpless sheep."
And without further ado, the Succubus demonstrated why Lust Demons should never be underestimated. Quick and nimble, Raven blended into the shadows and once she moved, she made quick work of the foes in rapid succession. The weapon on her hand was not made for killing, but Enchanted with a Spell that can knock even the sturdiest man unconscious. The tiniest prick and shallowest slash automatically activate its effects, putting the target into a deep slumber, only to awaken the next day with a crazy hangover. This specific detail was added by Haruki, to ensure that the scouts of Luxuria wouldn't be easily exposed.
Paul watched open-mouthed as Darwin's most experienced men dropped like flies one after another. Without even breaking a sweat, Raven returned to him in bird form, seamlessly shifting like an assassin dressed for the night. Still, she didn't miss the timing to impart a lesson. "Combat is not just about who's the strongest and the smartest, but also the quickest to act without the slightest hesitation."
The proud tone as the bird straightened up like a peacock was very apparent. "These are wise words from Lord Haruki himself."
Unbeknownst to the Sovereign of Lust - who was currently having a trip to dreamland laying upon an uncomfortable stone bed - fan worship of him had gone up to incredulous heights.
Promising to take Lord Haruki's fine words to his heart, Paul moved towards Darwin's special room. He carefully avoided the bodies sprawled on the floor, making sure not to leave any trace or evidence. Stifling the anxiety as he dared not imagine what was happening behind the closed door.
Unfortunately, the sound insulation of the special rooms was of highest quality, made from especially prepared materials. Even Martha's spendthrift ways had no say in its construction. For once, Paul thought that his boss' domineering control of funds had some merit.
Facing a perfect locked room for murder, Paul dithered for a while.
Will there be blood? Paul hoped there wasn't much, he wasn't keen on the stench of the stuff. Death was commonplace in the realm of the poor and downtrodden, but that doesn't mean one was immune to suffering and unaffected by pain.
Soon, upon Raven's urging, Paul pulled out the master key he had snatched from one of the unconscious bodies. The door creaked open, and the interior of the room was revealed.
Or what could be seen from the corridor at least, which was not much. The entire space was now filled with countless vines, writhing and slithering and threatening to break through the threshold. In a panic, Paul rushed inside and closed the door, then completely smothered by the oncoming onslaught of greenery.
"This is Lady Avon's Ability - Motherly Embrace!" Raven uncharacteristically cawed, like a bird caught in a hunter's trap. She flew upwards, evading strings of snake-like plants. "But it's out of control, she must have been severely angered!"
Obviously, thought Paul. How else could such a powerful Skill be unleashed without thinking of one's limits and consequences? He had once heard that a genius could be consumed by their otherworldly talents, a curse given by the Gods in exchange for their gifts. Why else would the formidable Heroes of legend fail to conquer and unite the world? With their great power came accompanying chains, excessive aptitude in exchange for loss in another. This was a truth in the world, one that even the deviant Demons were not an exception to.
Avon's perverted ways and obsession over "pure" men was a ramification of her powers. To Haruki, this was simply a bygone byproduct of the programmers' cruel design, a method to "nerf" a character, to even the odds and avoid creating a gamebreaker or a bug. Even the existence of an entire race like the Chimeras were made with these restrictions in mind.
But reality works differently compared to strings of code inside a game.
For Paul and Raven, Avon had lost her mind due to the "curse" given by the Gods. The Saboteur Hero simply could not stomach men that ruined her ideal and would fall prey to her impulse to destroy them.
Unfortunately, even her "child" Paul and the completely female and out of bounds Raven were not spared by the all-consuming madness that arose from the deepest of the Succubus' soul.
Raven frantically dodged multiple rushing whips of green. "Paul, it's up to you now!"
"What?!" Paul screamed helplessly as thick vines wrapped around every part of his body. With his past encounter with the Demon Hero's Ability, he knew full well that the more he struggled the worse the outcome would be.
"Try to call for Lady Avon!" Due to the bird's rather small size, shapeshifted Raven remained free for the moment. "Use sweet words, make her break free of the Ability!"
"How am I supposed to do that?!" A complete virgin boy through and through, Paul never tried to sweet talk anyone.
In a rush to solve the current predicament, Raven had completely forgotten that she wasn't talking to a fellow member of the Luxuria faction. Then she realized she had no clue how to teach someone to flirt, Lust Demons were born with the skill to seduce. For the first time in a long while, she found herself at a loss.
Paul gritted his teeth, taking the Succubus' silence as a resounding blank response to his question. He tried to empty his mind of distracting thoughts, like how the vines were creeping over his legs, waist and arms, now heading towards his upper body and neck. Within a few seconds, the slippery ropes would fill his mouth and prevent him from speaking further.
Left with little choice, Paul took a deep breath, inhaling loudly and gambling everything with a very reluctant cry. "M-mother, help me!"
These three words were like a magical phrase, all the vines stood frozen at once as if time had stopped. A complete and utter silence occupied the tiny space of the room, aside from the flapping of Raven's wings and Paul's shallow breathing.
The pair still had a restless air around them, waiting on pins and needles for any response from the other side.
Finally, a weak and familiar voice came out from behind the thickest canopy of vines. "Paul, my child, are you there?"
The rush of relief caused Paul's entire body to tremble and wither like a dried-up fish. "Yes, Mother, I'm here. Can you calm down and take away all these vines?"
"Of course, my son, I'm so sorry for putting you into danger." Avon's soothing voice was gentle and calm, mirroring the smooth withdrawal of the greenery around them.
Seeing that Paul had been released from the embrace of the plants, Raven quickly perched back on his shoulder before calling out. "Lady Avon, are you okay?"
"Yes, I was angered for a short moment," said Avon in a disgusted drawl while the other two were reminiscing how tormenting that "short moment" was. Paul, in particular, as the subject of the Ability twice now, shuddered at the terrible sensation of his entire body being crushed outside in.
While the Ability was receding and the vines getting smaller and smaller, Raven poked Paul with a talon, giving him a meaningful stare. The Human boy grunted, but now knowing how the Demon Hero's mind worked, compromised and muttered in a slightly endearing tone. "Please keep Mister Darwin alive, Mother."
Avon's response was full of reluctance. "But why? Trash like him should be eradicated from this world."
"Mother…" Paul's pained expression as he spoke even tickled Raven's rare funny bone, who snorted in an un-bird-like fashion. He gave her a stink eye but continued on.
"Do remember that we are working under Lord Haruki's orders and the 'trash' is instrumental to our infiltration in the Shifting Sand."
"Ah, yes, my son is sooo good and smart~" A figure rushed out from the gathering of plants and planted herself on Paul's body. Avon rubbed here and there, as if ridding herself of the grime that was stuck on her clothes.
Paul let her do as she wished, especially after seeing the captured figure in the corner of the room, wrapped tightly in a more controlled and smaller version of Motherly Embrace.
As it turned out, Darwin was conscious in the entirety of the situation. He glared fiercely at the people before him, especially towards the familiar figure of a Human boy.
"Paul, you motherfucking traitor! Release me at once!"
However, the turn of Avon's head paired with the ugly look on her face shut him up. "Silence, you ugly cur. If it weren't for my son's plea, you'd be dead by now."
Darwin visibly shuddered; the horror reflected by his eyes was unmistakable. He turned to Paul with a pleading expression, the shift in emotions so abrupt that it caught the boy in surprise. "Paul, my best boy, help your boss out, will you? Keep the crazy woman away from me, okay?"
A strange sense of satisfaction spurted from deep within Paul's soul and he didn't even notice that the small smile on his face had taken a more sinister hue. "Of course, boss, I'll lend a hand. How could I forget all the things you did for me in the past?"
The boss struggled to keep his begging expression, rightfully thinking that he never did any favors for the boy, so the other party was pressing him on. He was deeply insulted, but he decided to keep this grievance for the future. "Yes, um, I can do anything for you, just let me out, okay?"
"Sure, boss, these fine women are very easy to talk to." Paul led the conversation and the two Succubi tacitly cooperated to let him have the spotlight. "They only need a little bit of your time for some questions."
Darwin feigned a hesitant yet very understanding look. "Of course, Paul, no problem at all. But you see, some secrets in the guild can't be spilled, so I'm afraid…"
Paul resisted the urge to scoff. Even though he was in dire straits, Darwin could still mask himself as someone with good cards hidden in his sleeve. Too bad he was working for the boss for quite a long time now and recognized all his tricks of the trade.
"So sorry boss, but I don't think 'no' will ever count for an answer."
As expected, Darwin's fake smile gave way to a snide sneer. "Then try to pry them out from the dead. Torture me if you can, I won't utter another word."
The young man shook his head, giving a helpless look as if he was dealing with an unruly child. "How can you think of torture, boss? Did our past friendship mean nothing to you?"
Darwin looked like he swallowed a whole orange at the mention of this so-called "friendship". But Paul ignored him and turned to Avon, whose gaze was suspiciously filled with admiration for him. As a result, the boy momentarily faltered but quickly recovered his wits in time. Still, in a rare occasion of tacit understanding, the Succubus knew what to do and prepared to cast her Magic.
"To be honest, boss, I sincerely hope we can work together for a long, long time."
A sentence that was full of meaning. On one hand, Paul simply returned the same convoluted warning Darwin had graciously given him a few days ago.
On the other, it was a hidden message for "you're screwed, so don't think about getting out scot-free."
Love it.