Nik and Brian strolled outside the mansion in ease before mobilising their natural speed and entering the inner section of the forest in a pace of few moments. Finally, after entering a spot filled with dense forest and shrubs, Brian nodded and smiled at Nik.

"Your strength... it has passed a certain threshold."

"My skills and experience, yes?"

Nik smiled and sat under the shade of a tree while leaning against its bark.

"Experience and skills can never be excluded from personal strength. You have trained hard."

Brian smiled and sat in front of him. The blue-haired temporal fiend admitted that he had been worried if Nik would be even worth investing in. After all, from myriad records, Brian already knew of the cases where the demons of the incubus lineage lost themselves in debauchery before screwing the wife of someone they shouldn't and finally losing their lives.

But, until now, Nik has shown a surprising amount of sensibility.

"That I have. Of course, I also took breaks... but something tells me, you don't need to know the contents of these breaks."

Nik smirked, inducing a mild chuckle to escape Brian's lips as his healthy, burly frame shook a little.

"So? What's the count?"

Understanding the meaning of Brian's words, Nik couldn't help but frown. Although, incubi's need for partners is already well established, Nik still felt a bit hesitant to divulge the number himself. After all, it would be too easy to determine his true strength that way.

"I am asking this because I need to challenge men... or women... And I was thinking if you have... well, an angry husband trying to chew you inside out.

I may as well assist you and increase the number of my own Honored Challenges."

"Too bad... I am fortunate to not step upon any guy's tails." Nik shrugged before eyeing Brian.

"Why don't you challenge the pillars?"

"And kill them for the sake of fulfilling my own requirements? I don't think it would be right at the moment. The greatest priority is to pass the mission."

Brian looked a little thoughtful before opening his chat function and sending Nik a message.

[I also need to inform you one thing... I smelled a succubus on that pillar of flame.]

Seeing the message, Nik frowned and typed in.

[You... still haven't learned Kyojuro's name?]

Nik matched Brian's gaze for a moment before receiving a reply.

[Is the succubus more important or the name?]

Suppressing a smile, Nik continued.

[Succubus. But how are you so sure that the succubus is not a product of this very world? After all, aside of our lineage, there are supposed to be many other, less integrated lineages, too, right?]

Brian nodded and wrote in.

[Because... this succubus can communicate through her pheromones. Her words were meant for me... the Fiend with a mark on his head trying to recruit the remaining survivor of the two dastardly lineages.

And the succubus clearly stated the word 'system'.]

Nik frowned and enquired.

[How did this succubus even know we are in this world? And even if she knew it, how could she be so sure that you will be there at the meeting. After all, you have been on the move since joining the corps.]

[But you stayed in one location.] Brian smiled and continued, [To follow a person into a different world is too easy. With enough SO, even I can do it. But, to know where I might possibly be, the succubus would have needed to observe a possible accomplice.

And what better accomplice to a temporal fiend than an incubus?]

Nik took a deep breath and stood up. 

[Let's go.]

[After you.]

***

"I—"

"Don't worry. Instead of putting others at risk, it is better for me to do it..."

Shizuka sighed softly and continued cleaning Yuriko's body with much reluctance that she did not even bother to hide in her expression. Unwillingness practically rippled into existence through her face and curled lips.

"No." Yuriko softly shook her head, completely unabashed to let her limp body being cleaned by someone else and whispered softly.

"I did not turn into a demon voluntarily... it isn't fair, you know. O' high and mighty human... even I have a daughter, human. And I am now terrified of what she will think of me..."

Yuriko's body shuddered slightly while Shizuka applied a little more pressure into her hands and kept wiping silently. But from the corner of her eyes, Yuriko could see Shizuka's expression soften a bit, but she did not continue. What Yuriko wanted to express had been delivered clearly. Now, it was up to Shizuka to let her personal judgement cloud the truth in front of her eyes, or witness the reality of the demons herself.

To ease her own tension, Yuriko's mind drifted into the mind-numbing pleasure her body felt. Embarrassed, she clearly was, but it was only her emotions and consciousness. Her body, on the other hand, knew nothing of such emotions and desperately craved for such tender attention once again.

As Shizuka finally concluded cleaning Yuriko, she silently stood up and turned her heels to not let her complicated expression get witnessed by a demon for an even longer time. Meanwhile, Yuriko gently shuffled her clothes to cover her body and tuck herself in. Moving out of the room was a dream that the slayers in the mansion won't let her achieve, so, she could only sleep.

Meanwhile, from the front gate, Nik entered into the mansion alongside Brian and the news immediately spread with the kitchen being filled by multiple chefs who started to furiously chop the vegetables to make the dishes more healthy.

Of course, with the news of Nik's guest's appearance, a certain silver-haired youth smiled happily while continuing to stir the soup in gentle motions while also paying attention to the meat dish being prepared for the dinner.

Leading Brian into one of the guest rooms, Nik took a moment before asking.

"Due to integration... the succubus' life force may look quite ordinary. Or, this one may have some sort of concealment skill."

Brian shook his head.

"Let's not boil our own brains. The message is received by us, the succubus knows this. So, the opposing part will contact us in due time." With a smile, he continued, "How about we just eat our fill... I would love a hot meal."

"You got it."

Nik smiled before stating.

"Let me fill my partners on the situation. I'll come by in around half-an-hour. You should wash up. Oh, and there are spare clothes in the closet, so be sure to come out fresh."

"Yeah, thanks. Can I get warm water, too?"

Brian smirked while Nik narrowed his eyes.

"What? You like being spoiled? I would have never imagined that."

"With a motherly incubus in this room, I can only ask for affection."

"Yea, yea. Sorry for being a good host." Nik shrugged and smirked.

"Of course, there is also the option to stew in your own filth, Guild Head. But during the dinner, my partners will also be present... so, even if I won't judge you, my woman will sure do."

Nik turned his heels and took his leave while Brian sighed.

"Ahh! And here I thought that sensible Incubus aren't glib tongued."

Shaking his head, Brian started undressing and his own repellent stink almost blinded him. It was this worst!

"Ack! Better scrub it out!"

Brian immediately took off for the bathroom.

Nik, on the other hand, immediately sent the essence of the information to Elizabeth and Shigure to keep them updated while making his way towards Yuriko to get done with his usual bestowal of Hamon. Of course, even though Nik felt a need to fulfil the hidden desires rippling in Yuriko's eyes, Nik held his urges and quickly left after informing her that she would be able to meet her daughter in a few days.

Finally, Nik stepped into the backyard, finding both of his partners that itched his heart with the naked bodies wrapped in thin aprons.

The arrival of another 'host' did come as a surprise to the duo and the shock was even greater when they knew that this new arrival could very well stop their time and kill them, or even worse, if they happened to have been an enemy.

Of course, the true situation and conditions of his powers weren't known, but Nik still decided to share his own experience with Brian to let them know a little bit more about the man other than what he informed from his words.

Finally, after deciding against to spar with Saeko, Nik curled his lips in smugness as he revealed a single fact that he kept hidden from everyone, even Brian.

Two strands of gravitational waves kept on rotating around his body while Nik maintained the control even after all the events since the morning. Not letting his control slip up even for a single second.

Of course, Nik still couldn't accomplish the act as if it was second nature to him, but the progress was astonishing enough to keep Nik satisfied.

Finally, the time of dinner arrived and Nik went back to Brian's room... who still wasn't done bathing...

***

Alternate Title: Nik— The Destined Mom, Brian loves for bath