M-Day [A-Rank Mission | Imai & Masha]

Job Sign-Up (Free Form: Rescue Beach From Angry, Territorial Mermaids


*Brrzz*

…

*Brrzz*

”… Hmpf, zzz…”

*Brrzz*

The morning started off quietly. Imai had gotten so much more sleep lately, instead of spending night after night struggling to close an eye. Personal issues. Anyway, his clock rang violently, and his head was but a couple of feet away from it, so the fact that he overheard the buzzing like a deaf dude was abnormal. It required more than sound to wake up the dazzling star mage of Sabertooth; it took one whole Sei and his bunny feet (Sei was an alien species, and Imai had yet to unravel his biology and gender, thus just referring to the organism as he) kicking Imai’s cheek for him to slowly wake up to a vibrating feeling in the head. This morning was… calm to say the least. He was in his bed, still. That was a good thing, since he used to wake up at the corner or atop his dinner table across his bed. Despite how important it was to get his sleep, he had a theory that could explain the course of events…

But it’s okay, because he woke up in the end. And when a guy is woke, then he should eat and go see what quest is available down at the hall. Imai wasn’t even present in the real world - he had slept in his bedroom located in Yggdrasil. It meant that to get to the hall, he had to do some epic parkour shit like flopping out of bed, fixing his porcupine-looking hair, discreetly hiding the fact that an energetic lad such as himself also needed to wash his clothes like the man of his own house, brushing his teeth and reappearing in the guild hall in front of the quest board. A lot of sliding down branches and vines had to be made to get here.

It was weird that Kenna-nee wasn’t around now. Maybe she had woken up earlier like last time and already gotten out to complete her own quest… darn it, he should’ve woken up earlier! Stupid clock would have it later today! He narrowed his eyes over the papers stuck on the board, and he came across a certain paper mentioning a warning about mermaids near the shores of Hargeon Town’s beach. The paper contained following:

’From: Christopher Calum
Dear sorcerer/sorceress reading this paper. It has come to my attention that a lot of mermaid sightings have taken place at Hargeon Beach by the other inhabitants as well as sailors and lifesavers. I have found evidence of their undoubted presence, and despite not exactly having physical proof of this, I have also encountered one up until now. They showed ill intent towards us and threatened to drown all visitors unless we leave the shore to them and never approach it again. I told one of them to wait for a wizard to negotiate things with, and with all my power, I convinced them to wait. They’re rumored to be incredibly dangerous, and I fear for my neighbors that even one of them would be hasting and oblivious enough to throw their life away unknowingly by accident, despite my warnings. I need you to convince these mermaids that we live and thrive here at the shore, and that we can’t leave our stable and safe lives because of their own prejudice. If they won’t consider, any means necessary, if you ask me.

I beg you. I have a reward of fifty thousand jewels ready if you succeed.’

Now, Imai had read about mermaids, and he too knew that they were dangerous. They would sing and lure people into the sea and let them drown or join them as slaves… wait, that was sirens. Weren’t mermaids sirens? Were sirens mermaids?

That was enough to keep Imai’s head busy until he arrived at Hargeon Beach in his blue trunks and flipflops. He had ditched his headband and let his hair feel the soft wind of the sub-tropical climate that he loved. Despite the contents of the paper, many people were present at the beach; he was kind of sticking out with his telescope having its long feet attached to the sand and him looking through it to spot any mermaids. Why were people still here… maybe their lives really depended a lot on the beach.

Awaiting mermaids to appear did take longer than he thought. Hell, Imai even went to sleep next to his telescope, resting his back on the warm sand. Sei was with him the entire time, usually hanging on his back, but when he just blatantly fell asleep as if he hadn’t slept in years, she couldn’t help but play ‘small Imai’ and look through the telescope himself.

And thus, people laughed and enjoyed their beach time. Whistles could also be heard in many directions…

WC: 803

Masha struggled to choose a swimsuit. She was going to the beach today. Her arduous torment of her body was causing her to slowly waste away. There was a need for something fun. Something that would take her mind off of the gnawing hunger that grew every hour. The beach seemed like the best choice. She could feel like herself again, drawing lustful gazes, having people whistle at her. The succubus needed a little bit of normal again. It would go a ways into stabilizing her mind. Maybe. She found herself wondering which swimsuit Arty would like more if he saw her in it. The more modest one - which wasn't really modest - with the frills and better coverage or the piece that wouldn't hide a thing being little more than a piece of cloth in a 'V'.

In the end, the succubus decided to use the more modest one. It was a two piece stripped bikini. The bottoms sported a frill about the waist. The top however was rather small. Masha wasn't sure if she'd grown again or if something else was at play. Without time to find another suit, she decided to put up with it. If her chest popped free so be it. It wouldn't be the first time something like that had happened. Masha was handed a piece of paper on the way out the door. It was a note from the Magic Council. Scanning it made the smile fade from the redhead's face. They were sending her to a beach luckily but to fight mermaids. Damn it. There went her day of relaxing peace.

Walking onto the Hargeon beach brought about the reaction Masha wanted. She threw a few poses for the guys whistling and snapping her picture. The entire time, there was a sick feeling in her stomach. It warred with her body's need for sex. None of these men were Artemis Dagger. He was the only man that would enter the chalice that was her body. She'd string him along first if need be but eventually, she would claim him for her own. Women would have sufficed for her body's need but... It took Masha's entire willpower not to vomit there in the sand. That wouldn't happen. Not for a while yet anyways if ever. She'd been taken advantage of only a short while back. Even the feeling of feminine fingers against her flesh filled the succubus with a great panic.

As Masha wandered the beach, she noticed a familiar face in the distance. He was sleeping near a telescope for some reason. The sight of him sent thrill through the succubus. Not the thrill she usually got but one of shared camaraderie. Imai had been in Sabertooth with her. They'd done a job or two together before she left for Dies Irae. There was a brief thought that he might not be too happy to see her. She had in a way abandoned Sabertooth. Maybe there was a small part of her that had been relieved in leaving that guild. A part of her that believed the laid back ways of Sabertooth had contributed to the incident.

That was behind her. Not important. Masha shook her head. Easing herself down in the sand beside the Sabertooth mage, the redhead took in his features. What would the best way to wake him up be? Imai was always fun to tease with her body. However, there was a tinge of darkness to her teasing nowadays. A subtle reminder that hurt whenever she acted sexually. In an effort to shake that feeling, Masha quickly removed her top. Screw her memories. She was a strong woman. She would beat this thing like she'd beaten the scientists. One of them at least. Masha laid the fabric over the telescope. If some pervert tried to steal it, there would be no issue spotting them. Then the redhead would lay down some old fashioned justice.

The succubus laid out beside Imai. Seductively covering herself with her arms, Masha gently shook the Sabertooth mage. "Iiiiimmmmaaaaiii. Wake up, baby. It was fun and all but we need to get to work. Maybe my talented tongue can reward you after we're all finished." She called softly to the male. There was a possibility he'd been called here by the MC like her but no guarantee. If he was here for something else, Masha had the confidence she could rope him into helping her out. She was still getting used to her new magic. There was no telling if it would work the way it was intended to or not. Then there was the whole aspect of her servus. Lately, she'd taken to ignoring them. There was a feeling that they had abandoned her to the incident. Masha wasn't sure how to face them while that feeling was hovering within her chest.

Shaking her head, the succubus focused back on the sleeping form before her. There was a job to do. All her feelings and issues could wait until afterward. Maybe Imai would be willing to lend an ear afterward. There was a flicker of displeasure at the thought. Artemis should be the only one she talked to. His perfect body and mind clearly lent to him being her sole confidant. He was the only one worthy of such a position in her life. Masha sighed gently into the sands below her. Where she went after this job was in the wind. Until it ended, she'd try to focus only on these stupid mermaids.

WC: 923

… He could feel the change, unconsciously. The very reason that he had rings under his eyes for weeks, WEEKS, had arrived in the beach. Her presence, however, only manifested in his head as Imai was deeply in slumber, suddenly switching from successfully winning a Sabertooth Eating Contest to something much more erotic.

Imai’s libido must’ve reached divine heights. Even in his sleep, the processing scenery in his slightly hedonistic mind of a woman - his woman, the ideal woman, Imai’s woman - laying in bed with him, inviting him to her embrace and all the lovely things that he never got the chance to do in real life… those images caused his fingers to twitch and his face to contort into a softly laughing chuckle, some drooling down his lip from a lusty overdose. He looked like he was in bliss, simply rocking side to side until words crawled out of his mumbling mouth: “W-Wait… j-j-just 5 more minutes… pleas…” His hands rose up to his chest with a chest’s length distance as the fingers crooked and shook.

It was obvious of what he was dreaming of. Need I explain?

Then the words spoken to him a few seconds ago, like a discreet arrow hitting bullseye with the confusing relativity of time in light speed in ancient physics, caused his eyes to open slowly. He was slightly aware now - he had moved unneeded and in public. Maybe somebody had spotted him… but to his surprise, he couldn’t see much sand and people other than one arm covering up such lovely tits. That smooth arm, though… and the texture of huge, silky, soft breasts being pressed on by it in a protective yet unbelievably arousing matter… they belonged to Masha.

Upon hearing that she might reward him if he went to work intoxicated him and caused his face to redden up even more. Reflexively holding his hands over his pants, blood ran out through his nose as he couldn’t but imagine the situation. Masha was here, right next to him, and her bosom was hiding behind her arm! PLEASE! EVER SINCE THEY MET FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE WANTED TO SEE ALL OF THEM!

All this teasing was about to physically hurt him. He wanted to do so many lewd things to her, those thoughts simply dominated his brain like invasive fogs. He already forgot of his mission, even. “… M-M-M-Masha-nee…?” he forced out of his steaming mouth, “I… I… Hey, I… I missed you… a little…” Wow, what a shit lie to say, Imai. ‘little’ was contradictive; he had known of her change to Dies Irae, but the reasons behind were unknown to him…

There must’ve been a good reason. He knew that.

Either way, that just made this encounter even more satisfying. Also, due to this angle, his eyes never left her arm… he was trying to develop x-ray vision- WHY DIDN’T HE DEVELOP SUCH A SPELL BEFORE? DAMN IT, IMAI!

He finally managed to sit up again. His heart was beating furiously, but he slapped himself a few times to calm down. It wasn’t fair, he could never fully control himself… this was a familiar feeling to how he often saw Kenna-nee, but that was way different. This was more intense, and he was here being like a spoiled little kid. It almost saddened him if his lust didn’t exceed his sense of reason. “… S-Sorry,” he apologized to her, surprisingly convincing himself that he had done an error, “Man… it’s been such a long time since last time I saw you.” He would ask how she was doing in Dies Irae, but Sei reminded him of something important; the telescope. Poking his face with his alien tail, he moved the star mage’s attention to the telescope as he grabbed it to take a look… after eyeing and picking up the bra.

“… *breath*… *breath*… *heavy breath*… *heavier breath*… *even heavier breath*… I-I’m so sorry for being such a perv~!” he let out on the brink of losing his cool. Focus, Imai. Fucking focus…

WC: 678
TWC: 803 + 678 = 1481

Masha smiled at Imai's reaction to her. It was unbelievably innocent yet at the same time perverted. It raised her spirits. For a moment, the succubus had peace. Her mind calmed, happy that something that was difficult for her at the moment could bring so much joy to someone else. At least she assumed it was joy that made his nose bleed. His earnest apology drew a giggle from the succubus. "I've missed you too, Imai. I can always count on your reactions to cheer me up." She carefully maneuvered into a sitting position. While she enjoyed teasing, going all out at the moment might break the fragile stability she'd managed to attain.

Imai's reaction to her top made Masha giggle once again. Gently taking it from him, she put it on without flashing him. It was a move she'd perfected a long time ago. "No worries, Imai. I put it there. Though if you want one, I wouldn't be amiss to giving you a bra or two. I have quite a few and some perverted addictions are worth encouraging." She winked at him. Unfortunately the peace she'd found had slipped away. Something roiled in her stomach. She could have written it off as the need to eat. Yet she knew it wasn't that. Her body didn't much like certain things anymore. Or perhaps it was her mind that didn't like it. Either way, old habits made her sick in a way they never had before.

"So what are we looking at?" The succubus asked. Normally, she would have bent over Imai sandwiching his head between her breasts. However, in her current state, the redhead pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them into herself. Despite her best to appear and sound cheerful, it was clear something was bothering her. Masha's facade had been cracking greatly in recent days. Her inability to really do anything even remotely sexual cut deeply into the way she masked her emotions. It was an adjustment she was struggling with. It felt more like weakness than anything. That wasn't good to show. Weakness got you killed. Weakness was exploited by the people around you until you were broken into nothing or dead. Usually dead. Her time among the legals hadn't really changed that fact.

The waves before them were roiling. Masha frowned, lifting her chin from her knees. Something was making the ocean writhe on this beautiful day. Many of those on the beach were standing trying to get a better look at whatever was in the ocean. A sudden feeling of dread settled in the succubus' stomach. She shot to her feet. "I don't know if you're here on a job or here to relax, Imai but I need your help. We need to protect these civilians from what ever is coming."

Squinting, Masha could see a few people still swimming in the ocean. Idiots. The succubus reached for her new magic. She hadn't used it much since it first formed. Hopefully this wouldn't blast the beach. Taking a deep breath, the redhead infused her magic into her voice. "By the power of Dies Irae, this beach is now CLOSED. Everyone evacuate immediately or face being detained indefinitely for impeding the protection of the public." Her voice boomed across the entirety of the beach. She let out a happy sigh. It'd been used properly.

Her message got the people moving. Some hesitated to gather up their stuff. Others abandoned their things entirely in their rush to leave the beach. Those in the water, some exited quickly while others continued to swim. Masha scowled at those that loitered. They didn't realize how much danger they were in. There was no telling what would happen to those left on the beach when the mermaids landed. A few people were even daring to march in her direction. Idiots. They were all idiots.

A cold hand touched her shoulder. The succubus jumped nearly three feet. A tall pale gentleman with short wavy blue hair stood beside her. His red eyes looked emotionlessly at her reaction. His body was sheathed in an impeccable suit though his feet were bare. "Caius! Don't do that!" Masha shrieked once she got her need to hyperventilate back under control. The vampire merely shrugged, looking out onto the people still remaining on the beach. "Shall I round them up for you, mistress?" His eyes lingered on a few beach goers that lingered. Masha thought she saw his tongue dart out to lick his lips. Standing in the sun probably made him thirsty. It took significant power to stand in direct sunlight without it harming him. This was one of the rare times she could see the predator within Caius.

"Get the ones in the water, Caius. Don't drink from any of them and get them off the beach entirely. I don't know what the mermaids are going to do. I'll handle the rest." Especially since a fair amount of the rest were headed her way anyway. It'd be better to deal with them personally then use a servus to do so. The vampire nodded, bowing slightly at the waist. Then his form blurred. Shrieks were heard from the water moments later. The succubus looked over at her Sabertooth companion. "I'd like you to let me deal with these degenerates if you don't mind. Dies Irae is still relatively new. I need to impose the proper authority so people don't think we're pushovers."

"Hey! Lady! What makes you think you can kick us off the beach?!" A rather large angry looking man demanded. The top of Masha's head barely reached his muscle bound chest. The succubus ran an appreciative eye over his body. In another lifetime, she would have taken this one for a ride. "Mermaids are going to attack the beach, sir. We want to ensure everyone's safety. For that reason, please exit the beach." She said professionally, standing with her arms clasped behind her. Imai was probably the only one that could see her fists were clenched tight enough to shake.

The man bent down to get in Masha's face. "Aw hell naw. This is our beach and I ain't scared of a few mermaids. So how bout you clear off, missy. Besides, I never heard of Dia Irrate anyway so how do I even know you're a real legal mage?" His eyes swept down her body. Masha could see that light start to shine in his eyes. "Maybe me and the boys here should take you behind the shed. Teach you how to respect your betters and not try to fool them." Masha smiled slowly at the man. "Thank you. That was a threat to an officer of the law. I now have free reign to deal with you as I see fit."

"Wha-?" Masha's fist sank into his stomach. The man coughed once, frothing at the mouth. He stood only for a second before his massive body hit the ground. The succubus didn't waste time with the others. She was a blur of red, taking each delinquent down with a well placed punch or kick. Sand sprayed up from around her feet as she moved. Once she was still again, the ten thugs that had tried to intimidate her were knocked out in the sand.

"They always underestimate my strength" Masha muttered brushing the sand from her stomach. She turned back toward Imai. "Shall we get the rest of the beach cleared? There's no telling when those mermaids will actually arrive." She didn't really wait for an answer before sauntering away. There might have been more of a wiggle in her hips than necessary just for Imai's benefit.

WC: 1280
Total:2,203

Aww. It wasn’t one-sided; she missed him too. That sure made Imai much happier than he already was. Then again, it was pretty easy making him happy… way too easy. Thinking about it made him feel bad about himself… nah, screw it. This day just got a hundred times better, and he would make sure to enjoy every second with Masha around- wait, he was on a quest, yeah? Got to remember that…

Merely hearing Masha’s alluring voice promising to grant him a bra made his mind boil. He would soon be able to expand his underwear hat collection, which up until now only consisted of a pair of panties from Kenna-nee. A pair of panties whose absence she had yet to notice thanks to Imai’s high level of intelligence and infiltration skills, hihihi. It was mild compared to many other depraved things that he had done in the past… but those were his memories alone. “Ahhhhh… yes, pleeaassee…” he almost moaned whilst wrapping his arms around his own torso in excitement, “Yours are so huge, I can wear them like helmets…!”

Back to the telescope. At one point, he could see waves rising, and that must’ve been a sign to the beach and to them that the mermaids were arriving to bargain. It would take a little time from now on, in which Imai expected the beach to have taken warning. Masha revealed that she was here for the very same purpose as him, which was easy to deduce - yes, maybe she could have had any other quest in the same location, but Imai wasn’t exactly a detective! “You mean from the mermaids, right?” he asked her with a lower and more collected tone compared to his aroused, heavily breathless one earlier, “That Chris dude accepted my help too. I’m sure we can prevent a shore war…”

… Hmh, Masha looked worried for a second. The way she hugged her knees before showed a more soothingly anxious side of her that was first to Imai’s eyes. Hmh… she looked sad for a second… Imai thought for himself, strongly refraining from remembering how her knees gently squished her large boobs, Urrrghhh, stop it, brain, I’m trying to think… arhghghghrghgrhhghgggrgrgh!

At this point, it wasn’t even her aphrodisiac effect - he assumed she had one as a succubus - but Imai feared that he had grown into an ultra pervert. What was next?! Maybe some confrontation with the mermaids would set his mind on sail again- wait, mermaids weren’t easier to deal with, were they? He heard stories… they could lure men into the water. He should make sure to cover his ears or something.

Apropos covering his ears, he should’ve done so a few seconds before Masha’s voice increased in decibel exponentially. It sounded… well, duh, of course it sounded, everyone at the beach could hear her. Imai’s head vibrated a little, while his eyes couldn’t follow up with his head and caused a comedic effect. But ayy, people began packing their bags and heading back home… or some of them. Most of them. There were still some stubborn souls - it could have been himself, actually - that continued their beach day. And while some approached them to head home, Imai spotted the pale male reaching a hand towards Masha’s shoulder.

He simply pointed at him, because the two of them knew each other. He was curious to know this tall dude, but Imai assumed him to either be Masha’s brother or boyfriend. Such a goddamn rocking woman like herself would have no problem getting a boyfriend, he imagined. Although, the pale man’s address to her as ‘mistress’ raised question marks. And the ‘don’t drink from any of them’ raised even more…

… Was he a succubus too? Or wait… male… was he an incubus? What did she mean by drinking?!?!

At last, Masha asked Imai to let her deal with the ignorant bunch as a way to express the new power that was Dies Irae, as well as the authority that they were meant to impose. He didn’t know a lot about Dies Irae, obviously, but helping a new guild enforce a safety and protection sure sounded like a good idea. “Y-Yes, of course…!” Imai replied with a nod. That was when a taller douche approached them and shouted, causing Imai to eep for a very brief moment and hide behind Masha. This was… in every single way far more pleasant for him to stay right here, right behind Masha’s beautiful rear, than in front of the tall, ripped man who, once upon a closer observation, reminded Imai of Mashyuu from years ago…

The star mage would simply stay passive and peep his head out from her side, watching closely how Masha dealt with this annoying fella. He appeared displeased with the whole evacuation ordeal and doubted Masha’s status as a legal mage. It made Imai furious to see his comrade being doubted like that, especially since he remembered her past as a dark mage that she mentioned back in Ace of Spades. Understandingly, Masha’s clenching fists sure oozed a lot of anger. Imai often opened his mouth to try and talk back to the complaining asshole - first of all, mermaids were extremely dangerous, especially to men if they were anything like sirens, and second of all, legal mage or not; they were trying to help, not pull an early April Fools - but the young Ace ended up just keeping an opened mouth before closing it again and hearing Masha clear the case out with a sudden response to the man’s threat. Violent, but… hey, even if he didn’t threaten her, Imai didn’t feel bad for him… okay, maybe a little. That was just him.

After having Sei return to rest on Imai’s back and watching Masha quickly numbering the douchebags who probably wanted to do dirty stuff with her behind the shed - curse them all - it was time to clear the rest of the beach. Imai used a second or two to look at Masha running off, because those hips put him in a trance… oh, damn. They were perfectly oval and widened out around her plump butt, giving the whole image an ‘umph’ to it that almost physically pushed Imai back. It even made him wonder out loud: “C-Crap… Imagine a lapdance from her-“ Wait, are you fucking kidding me, Imai? BEACH! EVACUATE! BEACH! PEOPLE! BEACH! EVACUATION! LAPDANCE- NO! FUCKING HELL, NO! STOP PERVING OUT!

Was he having an internal crisis? Yes, in any other time, he would be too busy ogling at Masha, but it was just the unlucky case that he had a duty to fulfil. It’s like having a job; you can’t waste your job time staring at other women… just, just drive these mermaids off, Imai. You have a mission to complete.

He was right behind Masha - easy enough as her hips pretty much invited him along with her - and they passed by a young group of lads. Imai told them to leave the beach until the mermaids were taken care of, and some of them began questioning the danger of mermaids in the first place. The boy got what he meant - weren’t they just fabled wonder women - but if Masha looked behind her, she would just see an Imai making handy moves with his arms illustrating how mermaids lured sailors down into the water with them until they drowned without knowing. That was more than enough to creep the boys out and make them grab their rational senses, thus run.

…

Something grabbed him. It wasn’t near him or anything, but something caused Imai’s body to freeze. His eyes turned almost lifeless. “Sweet… such a sweet voice… it’s coming from the sea,” Imai spoke up whilst pointing towards the ocean. From the distance, three figures stuck their heads up through the surface, and Imai could hear their alluring voices that were specifically aiming for him. The beach was getting emptied pretty quickly, so this was a plan by the mermaids to use the wizards’ help to take the beach for themselves. And now, they had a grab on Imai, slowly leading him towards the waters…

WC: 1373
TWC: 1481 + 1373 = 2854

Masha heard Imai's little comment as she walked away. She smiled a little, glancing over her shoulder at him. This she could handle. Teasing Imai was innocent. He wouldn't try anything she didn't expressly ask for. Imai was safe. She could try being her old self around him. That self might be truly gone but it was better to find out with someone that wouldn't harm her. Masha had too many memories of things going too far. Of waking up to a body mottled with bruises, nearly too sore to move. Of other more vile abuses. She couldn't use her recent mind break to become a virginal priestess or something. That was too far opposite to what she really was. Instead, Masha would have to try and find that middle ground. The place where she could be modest and succubus at the same time. It would be a struggle. The last few weeks proved that beyond a doubt. But it was something she would strive for.

Caius had managed to clear up most of the people on the beach. She could see the sun was creating a strain on him. Not in the sense of a normal vampire though. The vampire was struggling valiantly to use his usually nocturnal body in the day time. He was sleepy. Masha smiled, smoothly inserting herself into his machinations. They worked together to clear the beach as quickly as possible. More than once, while they worked to clear the beach, the succubus had to snap her fingers at the vampire when he tried to drink. Caius always reluctantly released his prey. Once they were done, Masha dismissed Caius. The male bowed before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

The redhead looked around for her partner. He wasn't anywhere to be seen. She frowned wondering where Imai might have wandered off to. The giant wave had come even closer to the shore. It was big enough to easily wipe the beach out. On top of that, there were strange tentacles poking out from it here and there. Some sort of sea monster was making the wave. Masha had to applaud the mermaids a little bit. They knew how to ensure what they wanted came about. She would need Imai's help for this. It wasn't something she could handle on her own.

"Imai?! Imai, where are you? This isn't funny, the mermaids are still coming." The succubus called out, cupping her hands around her mouth. She could have used her magic. Probably should have. Yet she didn't have the best control over it. Masha was afraid of accidentally carving up the beach with her calling. Before she could call again, several creatures hopped out of the ocean. The Dies Irae mage was forced to face them. She'd have to find her partner later.

The creatures weren't typical mermaids. Two of them looked more like humanoid sharks. Their teeth gleamed from a pointed snout and their eyes were pitch black. Fins hung off the back of their muscular arms. Beside the shark men was a woman. From the top to the waist, she appeared to be a normal naked human woman. Waist down she was a mass of black tentacles. Unlike the shark men who held no weapons, this woman held a staff. It was likely magical given the glow at the top. The last two held tridents. The last two made Masha shudder. Their faces looked like a nightmare blend of fish and man. It fit with their blue bodies but had an effect out of water that gave Masha the willies.

"Human! You have been warned time and again. Now we will take the land that is rightfully ours!" The tentacle lady said, pointing her staff at Masha. The redhead smiled condescendingly. Five opponents, even mages, was well within her skill set. "As a reminder, your body will be torn asunder and left as a message around our land. Those males we have taken will become our breeding mates, forced to supply our dwindling population with offspring." Masha's fists clenched. So they had taken Imai to be a sex slave? Not on her watch.

"Shut your mouth, bitch. This beach ain't yours. And I'm not letting you keep my friend. So get lost" Masha punctuated her last word by clapping her hands together. A vertical wave of pink shot from her hands. The tentacled woman was taken by surprise. The spell struck her in the stomach. As sound reverberated throughout her body, the woman clenched her teeth over a scream. Masha had only a moment to feel smug. Then the goons were charging across the sand. The redhead decided to charge across the sand to meet them. Nothing like a good old fashioned brawl.

Masha could feel the speed infusing her body as she slipped under the first strike aimed her way. The shark man seemed surprised. Chuckling, the succubus slammed her palm into his side. Thunder sounded and blood sprayed from his mouth. Masha spun away. The other three were a little more cautious as they approached. The succubus didn't wait. Pulling on her magic, she ran into the air. A little twist sent her cannoning down toward her opponents. They were gawking up at her. The fishman she struck, crumpled with an audible crack. Her magic then made him billow in the oddest way.

A grimace crossed her lips as she crouched in the sand. Masha hadn't meant to kill him. They were her only lead to finding Imai right now. "Die witch!" The other fishman bubbled. His trident screamed toward her. The succubus moved, avoiding the strike. She'd taken her eyes off the other shark man though. His massive fist collided with her back. Masha was launched through the air. When she landed, a furrow was dug into the sand. The fact that her swimsuit stayed mostly in place was lucky. There was a rethink in order when it came to fighting on beaches.

Masha slowly rose to her feet. The strike had been powerful but the changes to her body had stolen most of its thunder. She raised her fingers toward the shark man. "You want to hit somebody? This is how you hit them!" Several pink balls shot from her fingertips. The hard sound bullets impacted the shark one after another directly in the stomach. He fell to his knees clutching himself. The succubus turned toward the fishman. Her expression was murderous. "You want some more? Come one then!"

His trident hit the sand. His knees followed soon after. "Please don't kill me, oh great sea witch! No, sea goddess! We were wrong to ever attack one with a radiance such as yours! Ask of us what you wish and we will see it done!" He said putting his face into the sand. The whole action made Masha feel nauseous. Once she might have enjoyed it. Might have even rubbed his face in her superior might. Now, she wanted it to stop. "Stop that. I'm not a goddess of any kind. I only want you to take me to my friend. You shouldn't have taken him. People are not objects to be used."

"Don't you dare!" The tentacle woman shrieked advancing across the sand. Seemed the reverberating sound had dissipated for now. The woman wasn't very quick, clearly more at home in the water. Masha watched her advance with cold eyes. "You lead her to the city and I'll have your head, Carrigan! She is an enemy! Finish her." The succubus sighed looking down at the fish man. "The choice is yours, big man. Your 'witch' over there wasn't able to even handle my power. I dealt with you goons in a matter of seconds. You tell me who you'd rather follow. Just know no mercy will be shown once the choice is made." A pink tentacle appeared from the nether. It wrapped around Masha's arm, appearing to attach at her wrist.

The fish man looked from Masha to the tentacle woman. The staff was lowered now, its green glow seeming ominous from this distance. "I'll follow you, goddess. She is not worthy of my devotion or my respect." The smile that spread across Masha's face was cruel. Time to teach a bitch a lesson. The succubus began to glide across the sand. Rumbling was the only warning she got. Using her newfound speed, Masha leapt to the side as a column of water burst from where she'd been standing. The geyser didn't even touch her.

"You aren't even on my level." Masha said confidently. Her arm whipped forward. The tentacle unfurled, slapping against the woman. She shrieked, trying to aim her staff. Masha took no mercy on her. Again and again the tentacle whipped forward to strike this foolish witch. It didn't take long for her to crumple into the sand unconscious. "And that's that. Carrigan-" Something sharp went into her side. The succubus looked over her shoulder with wide eyes. Carrigan had stabbed some sort of spine into her back. "You bast-" Masha's eyes rolled up into her head as the world went black.

WC: 1,517
Total: 3,720

For the moment, Imai appeared to be a lost cause. The mind-playing hymns and songs from the siren-like mermaids had pulled not only him, but several other males of different ages who were left on the beach, towards the tides. He could hear Masha’s calls for him in the distance, but his enslaved mind was grasped by a random mermaid who rushed to grab their ‘loot’ and take them away before he could show the smallest signs of reaction to his name being called. In a deep embrace, the strange fish-lady held her arms around Imai’s neck and hugged him tightly as he sunk down the surface of the saltwater along with some other men.

But Sei was still on his back, and the mermaid laid eyes on him. At first, she was heavily confused as to how she hadn’t spotted the creature before, and then she lunged after it. She only wanted the male and his role as a reproduction partner, not his pet alien. Unfortunately, Sei was quick even underwater, and the little extraterrestrial drew circles around the mermaid until she grew tired and let go of Imai’s body. She then lunged both arms after the creature to kill it, but Sei used the opportunity to dash down and get a hold of Imai’s head. The little alien creature allowed the star mage to wake up from the mind control, having his irises return and his consciousness to recover.

“wHrEArgh aRghm Aighr?!” the cosmic wizard complained underwater, realizing that he couldn’t breathe. He held his mouth and hugged himself, letting out a lot of magic power that took form of bluish radiation. The light was visible at one point from the surface, covering a huge circular area of the surface. After a moment, the light pushed back the waters in a huge shockwave that covered several dozen of meters in diameter. In the middle, Imai floated for a moment with air around him, determined to swim up to the surface where he could gain the upper hand against these kidnappers.

The mermaid took an offensive stance as she saw how he escaped her mind control. She was smart enough to not try again twice and was fine with the other males being led away. Imai spotted them, and in a flash, the work was made; a blue flash grabbed each male underwater like a submarine at terminal velocity, casually throwing them at the shore where they each landed on the soft, wet sand with minor headaches. Most mermaids were shocked by the showcase of speed, but Imai knew better than to challenge them all at once. He would have to join and aid Masha.

“Mashaaaa? Mashaaaa!?” he called out for her. Upon reaching the shore again, his quick, rapid feet drove him in all directions in search of her. Her magical signature was… weakened. That was when his poor eyes saw her get backstabbed with a spine-like spear by a merman. There wasn’t much to say, because Imai was as impulsive as ever; not a breath could be taken before the merman saw a rumbling light charge towards him with the echoing roar resonating:

“YOU ANIMAAAAAAAAL!!!!!!!!!”

The star clashed right into the merman and pushed him off Masha, whilst Imai stood right next to her and watched his light spell explode on the foe. Quickly taking a look at the injury, the Sabertooth wizard grasped the succubus’ arms and had his eyes shake in fright with the injury on her side caused by the merman’s spear. It had been a while since Imai was this angry.

As if having a prayer answered, Imai turned around to face the mermaid instead. She was still feeling quite on a safe distance- safe distance my ass, he wouldn’t let any of them get away with what they had done! And he didn’t know any healing spells to fix Masha up… this was terrible for the young man. A loud roar escaped his breath as he stretched both hands up in the air, noting every enemy in the area that a collusive meteor was entering the atmosphere. It was far out of Imai’s capability to summon it alone, but he had help from a spirit of an ancient wizard… who kept popping in and helping him at his direst moments.

In times like these, there was little time to think. Especially when your dear friend appeared to bleed out from a heavy injury, in which all of Imai’s young, adolescent heart just wanted to end this battle and get her some help before it was too late. Please don’t let it be too late…

The meteor pushed clouds away. It was a gigantic spectacle for the merman, but the mermaid master of his was having frightened expressions on her face. “… O-Oh god, no,” she prayed under her breath, “C-Carrigan, call Mother, call her, call her now, CALL HER NOW, DAMN IT, YOU IDIOT, CALL HER BEFORE IT HITS THE SURFACE!!!!!!!!!!” The merman under the name Carrigan poked his forehead with two fingers and telepathically called for aid. Meanwhile, the burning rock that was about to enter the lower air space where most skyscrapers reached had begun to push sand away given its size and rapid descent. Imai was feeling a little depleted, since one of those spells usually cost all of his magic power or more. But his knees denied submission, and he managed to keep his foothold as he turned around to protect Masha from the impact that would mostly hit the ocean and cause a minor tsunami to emerge.

WC: 930
TWC: 2854 + 930 = 3784

Carrigan the merman scowled at the mermaid screaming hysterically in the ocean. Their screams tended to carry mind altering capabilities. The Queen of the Sea had been alerted to the issues on the surface. He glanced at the unconscious Masha. The sight of her seemed to fill him with strength. Reassured, the merman turned back toward the ocean. "Fool! As if that would matter in the face of my goddess! This is merely a fraction of the power of her servants. Save yourself and stop using me to do your dirty work." The merman stepped over to Imai, kneeling down. His forehead pressed to the sand, Carrigan spoke. "Servant of the Goddess, I beg you to allow me to cast a spell upon thee. It will allow you to breath beneath the waves before I teleport us all there. I cast the spell upon the goddess but it seems she had an adverse reaction to it. Also your spell, while powerful will only take care of that first wave." His hand indicated the wave that was nearly upon them. The center of it was a mass of black waving tentacles. It was clear the spell was meant to wipe out every living thing on the beach. "However, they will summon many more to ensure the end of this beach."

At that moment, Masha moaned. She twisted, the thin material of her top coming dangerously close to revealing everything. "What did you do to me..." She grumbled sitting up with some difficulty. Carrigan started, lifting his head. The succubus glared at him defiantly. Bastard had stabbed her in the back with a spine. It had hurt but it looked like he might not have meant it. Her fist came down gently on his head. "Warn me next time." The merman nodded, turning to Imai. If the other wizard accepted, the merman handed him a spike containing the same water breathing spell. Carrigan looked nervously at the sky. Masha looked up as well. "By the Corrupted, what the fuck is that?!" She screeched scrambling to her feet. Carrigan took a moment to admire her backside before getting up himself. "I'll teleport us now, goddess." He said grabbing her wrist and touching Imai in whatever way the wizard allowed. The world seemed to warp, twisting in on itself.

When they arrived, Masha threw up. With the water all around them, the mess hung there in her face. The redhead grimaced as she swam around it. "What the hell, Merman? I said warn us next time!" The merman blinked. He looked rather confused. "I told you what was happening and my name is Carrigan, son of Carrow, Head Messenger for the goddess under the sea. Or I was." He scratched his chin, realizing the magnitude of what he had done. Masha could see the wheels turning in his head. There was something she wanted to make sure didn't become an option. "I'll not lay with you as a reward, Carrigan. I'm not a goddess whatever you might think and I didn't force you do do anything." The merman cocked his head. Apparently that thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

Carrigan turned and pointed at a building Masha hadn't noticed. She'd missed an entire city by the looks of it. There were domes everywhere. Buildings apparently all lit by strange bio luminescent plants. Merfolk swam happily through the water between them. Some sat in larger shell shaped vehicles that were being pulled by a variety of sea creatures. The succubus could see various similarities to buildings on the surface. That dome was probably the market. That one was the temple. That one was probably the school while a nearby one must have been a brothel. It was a strange placement for such a building. Carrigan waited, watching the redhead take in the sights of his city. When she turned back to him, the merman spoke. "The surface dwellers will have been taken to the breeding houses near the temple. The Queen under the Sea will inspect them. Those worthy to bear merfolk eggs will then be chosen from. The Goddess under the Sea will pick a few for herself then the rest of the single folk will chose from those remaining. If you wish to rescue them, getting them out before the Ritual of Choosing would be the best option."

Masha frowned, looking out onto the city again. There had been many taken by the mermaids. That was only today. What happened to those that had been kidnapped over the years? Were they still alive? She turned to ask the question burning in her mind. "They are the only humans here, goddess. Those kidnapped years ago were either disposed of or granted the Sea's Blessing which changes them into merfolk." Masha made a face. Where was the sense in that? Kidnapping people only to dispose of them was a waste of life. Especially if those people were the only way to 'breed' as Carrigan put it. This society was rather screwed up. She had half a mind to rip it apart.

The succubus turned toward Imai. "How are you on magical power, Imai?" She asked. He'd probably used spells to fight his way to the surface after being kidnapped. It would be good to know where they both stood. She'd used some of her mana. It wouldn't slow her down any if they fought through this disgusting city though. Carrigan floated nearby, looking unsure of himself. Masha ignored him for now. The merman had been useful to this point. However, there wasn't a reason to trust him. Nothing stopped him from turning on them anytime soon.

With Imai's answer, the redhead frowned. That wasn't good. She could cut their way through the city straight to the temple. There was no telling who she would hit however. Those they were trying to rescue would end up dead if she was off by even a fraction. "Carrigan, is there any secret passageways to get to the temple? Or a way to get there without us being attacked?" She asked of the merman. "Of course goddess. There are a few ways to do so. First, we could disguise you as merfolk. That wouldn't hold up long as most here are adept mages. Second, we clap a collar around your necks to look like breeding stock. However, there are antimagic stones in those collars that would prevent you from using magic to defend yourselves. Third, we make it to my parents' house and go through the cave tunnels into the temple proper. That carries risks of its own." Carrigan responded. There wasn't any inflection in his voice, the delivery completely passionless.

Masha shivered. Her trust in Carrigan didn't extend far. This was the perfect time to lead them into an ambush. There might be other options but none that she could discern. She didn't like any of the options available. The one she liked least was the collar. No way could she handle something like that now. Her hand touched her neck, trembling violently. "I-Imai. Which do you think we should try? Fighting isn't an option by the sounds of it so we have to trust Carrigan for now." She managed to speak. Her throat had gone dry at the thought of a iron necklace. If only Artemis was here to hold her. Then her fear might be able to melt away in his strong embrace. The succubus wrapped her arms around herself as she waited for her partner's answer.

WC:1251
TWC: 4,971
8,755/14,000

It took quite a good second to spot Carrigan kneeling down right in front of him. With a wounded Masha in his arms, much of the world around him was blurred as he kept clinging onto her out of fear of what his spell was capable of. What a fool that he was, he had never poured so much magic power into a spell before! What if the beach would get destroyed beyond repair? And what of them? He was worried that the spell would do more self-harm than actually revenge what they did to his friendly red-haired neighborhood succubus, but seeing Carrigan in front of him allowed Imai to focus a little. He was addressed as the Servant of the Goddess and asked to allow him to cast a spell upon him. “W-What are you on about, y-you…!” Frankly, Imai had yet to fathom that this merman, Carrigan, was actually on his side - he had just sucker-punched the poor entity off, so why would he help them? Was he… was he referring to Masha as ‘goddess’?

… Well, Imai could see why. Even mermen thought with their gutters, didn’t they…?

A sudden moan shocked the star mage to the point where he instinctively let go of Masha’s intoxicating skin, his eyes wide-open in utter disbelief as his partner suddenly talked. She looked alright; it was as if the stab wound had been a mere nap, an injury that would prove fatal to the likes of Imai himself. And it seemed that she was okay with the merman after that… man, maybe he did want to help the wizards. What could’ve made him change his mind to go against his own queen, though?

“A-Alright, let’s just fix this mess,” he agreed. The merman Carrigan then grabbed both hers and his wrist and warped them away from the beach coast. Imai was more than used to teleportation, so when he found himself underwater, he realized that he could breathe underwater now that Carrigan had put a spell on them both. However, from the corner of his eye, he spotted how Masha didn’t exactly benefit from the same teleporting experience points that he possessed… poor lady. Imai assumed that she still felt injuries from the lethal stab wound earlier. Was it her succubus blood that healed her? Imai didn’t know that succubi or other demon types could heal themselves; he always associated the term healing with more holy aspects such as light magic and light-attuned entities such as… well, angels and atronachs. priests and clerics. The more he knew, the more he wanted to know.

Actually, he should’ve started giving his attention to the fact that he was underwater now, far away from the shore. His hair floated in the water, but he breathed normally. Carrigan pointed them towards what appeared to be a sunken city, but it reeked with life force and magical signatures. It must’ve been the merfolk’s underwater city… but those were so rare to find! Was Imai finding himself in such a hidden and secluded area in Earthland at this moment?! He almost squeaked in joy, but he made sure to hold his mouth with both hands, while his eyes sparkled like any breath-taken boy who witnessed such a glorious event.

It was just sad to think that this city was to blame for the beach siege. Despite having a city that looked a lot like those above the water surface like that of Crocus or Era, they were really worlds apart from each other. Just what they had against humans that could trigger this plan’s motion to begin was still a mystery to the star mage, but maybe Carrigan knew of it. Therefore, Imai’s ears were aimed at him as he explained that the ‘surface dwellers’ - likely those living above water - were to be taken to… huh?!

Wait, Imai could put two and two together… was that why he woke up underwater?! WAS HE GOING TO BE USED AS A SEX SLAVE?! He couldn’t help but hold his crotch in shock, quickly turning his previously joyous face into a contorted, frightened expression. He didn’t want mer-eggs or any of that shit in him, and he didn’t want to unconsciously be someone’s toy! Hell, those merfolk were selfish as shit!

He wasn’t the only one who was kidnapped, though. Many other males had been successfully brought into the city, and according to Carrigan, they were going to provide as breeding partners in some kind of… well, auction? Ritual of Choosing? It sounded insane, really. Imai would be happy to ruin that ritual any day, but Masha asked him a good question concerning his magical power. He clenched his right fist to see if any magic power reacted, but only a fraction of his full power was at his disposal for now. It showed itself as a faint, bluish light spreading around his arm…

But he did have something else that could aid him. His trusty spinning top, Pegasus.

“I’m a little low on magic power, but with this, I’ll be good,” he replied to Masha. With that said, Carrigan proposed some ideas to get into the city; either disguise as merfolk with a high chance to get spotted, clap a collar around their necks to appear like breeding people, or make it to his parents’ house and use the tunnels to get to the temple. Imai would go with the third option, since the Ritual of Choosing hadn’t started yet - thus cancelling their chances of getting through safely as disguised merfolk - and the collar idea was unsettling. Imai liked his magic, and he didn’t want to be rendered defenseless.

It was quite a daring choice, however. What if Carrigan would trick them? Masha didn’t appear all too sure in this herself, since her hand was trembling when he looked at her. However, it was likely for the best to trust Carrigan now, so he nodded with a smile. “Let’s try at his parents’ home. Seems like the least suicidal plan…” It annoyed him, seeing Masha so anxious and fearful. He laid both hands on her shoulders and looked at her as serious as he could. “We’ll save them, alright? And we’ll beat the annoying mermaids and merman up too, alright? I’m with you; so lead us the way, Carrigan…!”

WC: 1057
TWC: 3784 + 1057 = 4841

The feeling of Imai's hands on her shoulders helped calm Masha down. She wrapped her arms around the redhead, dragging him close in a hug. Carrigan made a noise of displeasure. Or perhaps it was a noise of desire. It was hard to tell with the merman. Imai felt solid enough to bring Masha back to reality. A few moments of hugging him went a long way to pushing back her memories. However, when Masha stepped away from Imai, her top came away on his head. Carrigan whistled. Masha put her hands on her hips. "Now that you've both gotten a show, may I have my top back?" Once the top was secure again, the redhead continued. "Thank you, Imai. We'll go to Carrigan's parents. It is the easiest way to stop the Ritual while allowing us the ability to fight."

Her confidence hadn't fully returned but Masha could put on a good show. Carrigan nodded in approval. He turned to lead the way. "This way, my goddess. The side streets will best hide your presence. Should we encounter trouble, I cannot aid you. Otherwise, we shall be hindered later." Masha nodded in understanding. When Carrigan's back was turned, she frowned. The merman had changed allegiances rather quickly. They were at his mercy here in the city. Should he lead them astray, there was little they could do to stop him. Masha reached for Imai's hand. She needed the comfort of it for the time being. At least until the vestiges of her memories wore off.

Carrigan led them through a maze of alleyways. He barely stopped. Several times, Masha nearly lost sight of him. She didn't dare call out though. That would give them away. As they entered an alley, a group of merfolk swam down around them. "Well, what do we have here?" A mermaid purred, swimming around them. A muscular merman thrust a trident in their direction. "Looks like a couple of humans. Damn, surfacers. Taking all the good women and men for themselves. Leaving the rest of us to rot in the Depths." Masha sighed, letting go of Imai's hand. Misplaced aggression was something she was used to. It also seemed like Carrigan was nowhere to be seen. Tricky bastard.

The slayer unleashed one of her least powerful spells. A bubble of sound expanded outward, flinging the merfolk away. They angrily tried to return fire. Masha grinned as the shots pinged off her flesh. Between the spell's damage reduction and her own, they weren't doing any damage whatsoever. "That will hold them off for now. Any idea what we should do, Imai? Carrigan seems to have disappeared. Probably never should have trusted that bastard in the first place. We don't even know when the Ritual is supposed to take place..." They didn't have much of the information they needed. Carrigan had simply told them and they'd followed blindly. Masha should have been more suspicious. She'd berate herself for the failure later. "Don't use any spells, Imai" Masha said, remembering the other mage was low on mana. "Use this instead." She threw a glowing blue ball at Imai. When it hit him, the ball expanded into a sword of ice. If Imai swung it, the sword would break into ice columns aimed at whoever the mage wished. Masha figured that would be very effective underwater.

WC: 559
TWC: 5,530
10,371/14,000

His words appeared to have helped her calm down again. Yay, anything to make her happy. Totally not because he wanted anything in return, nooooooooo wayyyyyyy-

In reality, it almost hurt him. With pleasure. The young and bewildered space mage found himself closely hugged and embraced by a woman he had been night-dreaming about for months on end, uncontrollably attracted to her in all the lower areas, and his head was in just the right place between her humongous, destructive milk tanks.

Sei inspected Imai’s reaction to the scene. His fingers were twitching softly in surprise. His body temperature skyrocketed. For a moment, he considered just staying like this forever. Wrapping his arms around Masha’s waist in response to her embrace. Mermaids? They weren’t important at all, he was in heaven’s valley right here and-

… Tragically, good things don’t last forever. She did let him go, and his eyes were half-closed and dozy. He could go off into a state of unconscious arousal at any time now. He had never felt this way with any other woman before. How could it be- oh wait, succubus, that was the case… that only made it feel much better for the depraved teenager, honestly. This was certainly something he would feel proud of and be happy about. His childhood friends would drop their jaws when they caught news.

It was bad that he didn’t get to use his hands, but oh well. He also noticed a piece of cloth hanging on his face, and upon raising his eyes to it, he realized that Masha’s bust was exposed for him to see. The saltwater around him turned red, and a vortex escaped from his nose as he softly propelled himself backwards. “S-So round and silky…~” he expressed joyously, needing Sei to support his bag before he sunk down to the rocky floor. Sei also decided to return the top to Masha, much to Imai’s disapproval… hmpf.

A few soft slaps from the alien, and Imai was back on track. He had some dry blood from his nose, but he had more important matters to attend to… sadly, the view of those sex orbs had been imprinted onto his brain, and at this point, he had little space for anything else to imagine. Good thing that his thoughts were all his to deal with as he pleased.

Aww… all this pent-up libido made him sad. To think that he would only get to watch both infuriated and saddened him. It made his mind buzz around, until it tied a knot on itself. He could barely hold back his soft ‘yip’ when Masha reached for his hand. Just… everything from her felt so accursedly good.

… Shit, he totally forgot. He was almost out of mana, and they ran into trouble rather early. And where was- that bastard! He had lured them into a trap!

Mid in Masha’s counter spells, Imai let out: “O-Oh, t-t-t-that’s j-just great-t! I-I’m s-s-sure it’s ne-nearby, if he lured us t-t-t-to it…!” Okay, the boy decided to slap himself this time before continuing, “… But my magic-“ Oh damn, Masha was armed with what looked like the coolest ice sword that he had seen in his life.

The amount of ice swords he had seen being one.

Once when he began chopping down the trident of the big merman, Imai didn’t feel like he was low on mana. “I think I can hear crowds further away…!”

WC: 576
TWC: 4841 + 576 = 5417

They were cornered, betrayed or tricked and Imai remained optimistic. Such a sweet boy he was. Masha debated making him into a man. She tapped her finger against her lip. Perhaps not. Caius was getting rather possessive lately. She wouldn't want the boys hurting each other over her. That thought brought a chuckle to her. How she'd changed.

The mer-people were advancing for the attack. The redhead tossed her head. These merfolk with their self righteous behavior had gone too far. Stealing people from a beach, forcing them to remain in the Depths and then having the audacity to blame it on their lack of attractive people? Deplorable. Time to teach them a lesson.

Power gathered within Masha's hand. A tentacle formed, wrapping around her left arm. Her teeth bared in a feral grin as the merfolk attacked. The tentacle glowed with pink emergy as it snapped out again and again. Small explosions erupted whenever it hit a mer-person. Soon many of their unconscious bodies floated in the water around her. Masha cackled happily. Teach them to mess with her. The other half of the group had headed toward Imai.

Masha worried her lip. Should she help the little mage? He was nearly out of mana. Her Ice sword spell might help him to some extent. However, Imai would have to step up too with any physical skills. If she helped them, the merpeople would be out of their way. On the other hand, if she helped, would the Ritual be completed while they fought? It came down to her trust in the mage. "Imai, hun, you've got that group. Take them down quickly and I'll reward you later, darling." Masha called over her shoulder, making up her mind.

The redhead kicked off, shooting upward. Stealth seemed to be out at this point. Carrigan could have been wasting time with that anyways. The Coliseum where the ritual was supposed to take place loomed overhead. Masha strained every muscle to squeeze speed from her body. Those people didn't deserve to be trapped down here. Especially when there was something she could do about it.

Masha crested the top. Her body locked in horror of what was below. The Coliseum was packed with merfolk. They roared in bloody satisfaction. The floor of the arena held those stolen from the beach. They were huddled together, flinching at every merfolk that passed them. All but one. A young child lay stretched on an altar. She appeared frightened with chains securing her hands and feet. Three merfolk kept running their webbed hands over her. Spell preperation? Masha hoped so. She didn't want to contemplate the other option.

Human sacrifice was how this Ritual must work. Masha knelt at the edge of the wall. She could blow all this away but that would injure either the group of innocents or the young child. The succubus ground her teeth. She had no plan to beat an arena full of people, let alone save those stolen from the beach. The situation seemed entirely hopeless.

WC: 507
TWC: 6037
11,454/14,000

Imai was quick and unorthodoxly ruthless with the ice sword in his hand, slashing apart the mermen who surrounded him and Masha. Even more were on their way, and they really pressed down with their huge numbers against what felt like two surface-dwellers and a third party somewhere. Imai had to be on the move all the time, swimming across the deeper waves and go on the offensive to push them back just as hard… but he was really lacking in the mana region, or so it felt.

Little did he know…

Masha still appeared to have mana to spare, having cast a spell that latched a tentacle around her left arm, which then was used to whip the mermen and mermaids into bad shape like a dominatrix. Well, no time to stand around and ogle- you could do that later, Imai! Pick up your pace and nullify these hordes!

And as if he hadn’t gotten enough motivation just from looking at her, Masha’s words caused a whole new source of energy to bubble up from inside of him. He suddenly remembered what she said in the beginning, up on the beach… and the fountains from his nostrils actually provided him with momentum like a pair of torpedoes, pushing him straight into the groups of mermen and allowing him to slash them up too quickly for any of them to counter-attack.

HNNNNG, I’M SO FUCKING RIGID DOWN THERE!, his mind went ahead in deep, hot thoughts, Daaaamn, I’ve never felt so reassured in my whole life! Ow, I wonder what she’s going to reward me with - maybe she’ll be all like ‘Just kidding, I just wanted you to not die, lolkbye’ and then be like ‘LOL, again, just kidding, here ya go’ and grab my hands and let me knead those big, juicy melons ‘till kingdom come! My hands have been aching for some titty action all day- OH! OH! Maybe she’s in heat, maybe she told me this ‘cuz she wants to go even further! I can’t believe it, I feel so honored and so FUCKING LUCKY! Is she into [REDACTED]? Nah, that’s too boring - maybe she’s more of a [REDACTED] type? Or maybe she wants me to take the lead with [REDACTED] - shit, I’ve never tried anything like this before, can I even perform? No, no, no! Don’t be afraid! First time for everybody, Imai! First foreplay, then [REDACTED]! That’s always how it goes in the novels, and all novels are inspired by reality!!!

From the outside, Imai just giggled, watered, almost had tears run down his face and crooked his fingers so uncontrollably that one might have believed that he was possessed. There would’ve been another apparent part standing out in the crowd, but the blood needed for that had gone all the way up and out of his nostrils for safety reasons.

“What the hell?! That human is polluting the water with his own blood!” one of the mermen shouted out to the others about the scenery of Imai having half a mind to do some solitary entertainment - y’know, to prepare for his later reward, “Someone stop him! Damn it, we have him 100 to 1!”

“100 to 1, huh?!” Imai called back to them as blue energy surged out of him, “You think I care about your numbers?! GET LOST!” In a flash of light, his magic resurfaced all of a sudden - as if held back by a balloon, said balloon popped and let go of this ridiculous power, which pushed back the waters as well as the merfolk submerged within it.

It was so fierce that even the merfolk at the arena, who were too busy dealing with the human captives and the sacrifice, spotted this light and panicked, fearing that this energy was hostile towards them and their people.  That resulted in many of the merfolk who had gotten themselves quite comfortable in the arena - y’know, with all these fresh human captives who were going to provide them with a whole new generation of halflings - standing up from their duties and swimming up to try and stop the surge of energy that escaped Imai’s body. His grand lightshow was grabbing all their attentions like drawing moths to a flame.

This would leave only a few couples of guards left with the human captives, which were left up to Masha…

WC: 733
TWC: 6,150
Thread TWC: 12,187

Imai began to glow, nearly blinding Masha when she looked back to check on him. The move was brilliant drawing mermaid numbers to him. Unfortunately, it brought alot of mermaids toward Masha as well. The city roiled beneath her. Mermaids boiled up, all drawn to the intruders. The redhead wrinkled her nose. That didn't bode well for any of them.

The captives were running out of time. Masha spotted several more mer-people priest rushing toward the girl on the altar. Damn. They were speeding up their process. Masha flicked her tentacle at several merpeople that attacked. A few closed the distance. A spear crunched against her stomach. Another jammed into her arm. She grunted from the force behind the attacks. These idiots didn't know who they were messing with. Sound waves hit them knocking them out. Masha used condensed sound waves to propel her toward the arena. She couldn't risk more attacks with the time limit.

The slayer landed among the priests. She pressed her back against the alter, jabbing quickly. Her fists blasted the creepy priest merpeople away. One launched magic at her back. Masha screamed. That spell had cut through her defenses. She stumbled forward. Yet, the mage didn't need to do anything. The hostages were done. With a majority of the merpeople gone, they surged forward. The priests met their end by mob justice. Whatever guards there had been must have already met that fate.

Two people touched Masha's shoulders to check if she was okay. She smiled weakly. Pushing herself upright, the redhead took stock. It appeared as if everyone was here. Excellent. "Alright, listen up. Group up. We're getting you all out of here. My partner should-" "DID YOU REALLY THINK IT WOULD BE THAT EASY? FOOLS! FACE THE WRATH OF ARPHANDAMION, AND MEET YOUR DOOM!!" A voice boomed through the arena. The floor cracked violently, tossing them all into the air. Masha realized what the girl had been tied to the altar for. She had been intended as a sacrifice for whatever was about to rise. As tentacles smashed forth, grasping for the innocents, Masha prayed Imai hadn't been held up. This wasn't an opponent she could defeat on her own.

WC: 368
PWC: 6405
Total: 12, 555

Oh shit. Whatever lightshow he caused, it resulted in many more casualties than he wished for. Many of the mermaids were brutally battered around by Masha and her magic - from his position, he could briefly make out the vision of rings blasting the water away. It felt like no Elemental Magic, but it tasted loudly. Sound Magic? But that was kind of a genius of her! Sound waves travelled much faster underwater, so that must’ve been on her mind. Her spells likely had a push from that physical phenomenon, given by how most mermaids couldn’t evade her attacks.

He began diving further down to aid her, seeing that she was taking way more punishment than any human could handle. “Masha!” Imai called over to her, but he was cut off by a few groups of mermen who thrusted their spears at him. He violently grabbed the spears and broke them with his bare hands, his emergence of magic boosting his physical capabilities, before he jabbed each merman in the neck, head and belly to knock them out as quickly as possible. Then, as a meteor descending into the bottom of the ocean, he approached the arena and spotted the mob assaults that was caused by the freed hostages… it was bloody.

Masha managed to gather them around her, though. They were planning their escape, but a booming voice echoed through the waters from below them all. Right when Imai touched the surface, it cracked open and tossed both people and debris upwards. Shit, some huge creature was after them-

Imai’s fists smashed through the debris and even managed to grab a huge boulder before slamming it back into the creature’s body. Its tentacles were fast and tried to grab a hold of a couple hostages, but Imai intervened and cut the tendrils off with a quick karate chop before pushing the hostages up to the surface. Although, he wasn’t fast enough to save all of them at once, so he charged straight down to the creature and proceeded to plant his heavy, star-struck fists down through its thick, scaly skin in rapid fashion. Maybe a concussion would render it immobile and free everyone, or maybe he had to execute it for the evil freak it was.

His furious assault caused the entire arena to fall apart. Ripples of magic cracked the walls and broke them down, seats were blown away, and everyone attempted to reach the surface while mermen and mermaids panicked. Their sacred temple was being broken down in front of them, but Imai wasn’t running out of troubles himself. The creature emitted a wave of magic that suddenly made him feel saltwater running down his throat for a brief instant, causing him to cough violently as he had lost his ability to breathe underwater. The wave was meant to reach everyone as a last resort, but it died down as the creature lost its vitality.

But it didn’t stop him.

WC: 493
Thread TWC: 13,048

Masha watched Imai assault the horror from the depths. She glanced around the water. With the eruption of the creature, multiple spells had failed. One of which had provided the ability to breathe underwater. The redhead was torn. Did she help her partner whose, judging her own inability to breathe, spell had run out. Or did she help the people flailing in the water as tentacles waved around them? Her teeth grit knowing which answer she had to take. She promised Imai silently she'd be back.

The redhead used her magic to zoom through the water. Getting everyone out one at a time wouldn't work. The creature was able to attack Imai and the innocents simultaneously. Masha scowled, realizing she didn't have time to gather information. Every moment she waited, people panicked and swallowed sea water. Then they went unconscious before drowning. Her brain scrambled for an answer. Meanwhile, she snagged those she could from the water. They started trailing out behind her. Dangerous with the creature. The redhead debated going for the surface. It could work, potentially. But her magic would exhaust itself well before everyone was rescued. That might happen regardless. Masha tried to stamp her foot. The result was spinning herself around a few times. It took work to right herself again. The people she'd gathered were drifting apart. The tentacles waving through the water had them glancing around nervously.

The redhead decided to propel them to the surface. She couldn't go up and down efficiently but perhaps she could boost the unlucky beachgoers close enough to the surface. The water flared pink. The swimmers shot upward. They stopped short of the surface but all could swim well enough to make it. Masha grinned with victory. Now to collect the rest. The redhead turned, only to find a tentacle wrapped around her ankle. It crept upward, latching onto her calf. Then Masha was jerked downward. The creature wasn't stupid. Imai's relentless assault had it scared. Maybe. Either that or it was a cunning thing. Masha along with eight innocents were thrust in the path of Imai's fists. The redhead threw up a barrier between the magic and the victims. She, on the other hand, took the full brunt of his attack.

Oxygen escaped her mouth in a burst. Pain flared through her body. Blackness flickered on the edges of her vision. Imai's punches, the pressure of the depths and the sudden loss of the last of her oxygen robbed her body of strength. Masha tried to smile weakly at Imai. It looked like this was the end of her. The water suddenly erupted with heat. The creature recoiled, releasing Masha. Talons wrapped around her waist. She could barely see another set of talons wrapping around Imai. Aodhfin. That damn phoenix. The redhead smiled despite herself. The flaming bird rose swiftly through the water carrying his precious cargo.

Masha awakened a little while later. Aodhfin had deposited her on the beach. Judging by the crying, cheering and other sounds, he'd rescued other people as well. The redhead laboriously pushed up onto her elbows. She looked around for her partner. "Imai?" She called out hoarsely. "Imai? Where are you? I believe I owe you a reward" Masha hadn't forgotten, nor did she intend to renege. It was sex. No big deal. The redhead would make it an event that the small ST mage wouldn't soon forget.

WC: 568
PWC: 6973
Thread TWC: 13,616

!!!

No, what happened?! Why did Masha suddenly appear right in front of his relentless fists?! He didn’t mean to hit her! The event shocked him so much that he cut off his assault on the beast and tried to reach Masha with a hand to grab her, for the hit looked to have done her in badly. Although, he couldn’t hold his breath long enough to bring her up for air as well as everyone else… it felt so terrifying-

Just when Imai started panicking over his small chance of surviving all of this, he felt strong talons grabbing a hold of him before lunging him up to the surface. It felt like a guardian angel had come to rescue them - or, in this case, a guardian phoenix. In a flash, he and the rest who were trapped underwater were lunged to the shore, while the beast perished under a sudden increase in heat that cooked it alive…

Imai found himself coughing violently, feeling his vitality escaping him quickly. He was on the brink of fainting, hearing the muffled sounds of people cheering each other. It seemed that people had been saved… so his job was finished.

Then, he heard Masha call his name… and he remembered what she owed him. He felt his heart beat faster, not wanting to waste any more time and wanting to embrace his reward, but his strength was fading. N-No, no, no, no, no, no, noooo, noooo, please, body, don’t let me down now…

He crawled his way towards her voice, appearing in front of her again but still laying on the beach floor like a crawling zombie. While his body left a trail on the sand, there was an apparently deeper, thin line in the middle of his torso’s tracks. “I-I… need a b-break, please… j-just a min-” was all he could muster up before his face hit the sandy ground, a groan escaping his mouth as he fainted right in front of her legs. His arms were tired, his legs were tired, and he needed to get some vapored seawater out of his system, but even in all these conditions, his third leg was vigilant…

How tragic…

WC: 367
Thread TWC: 13983

Masha giggled at Imai as he lay near her. The poor boy had pushed himself well past his limits. It was absolutely adorable. He wanted the reward so badly, he'd gone even further. The redhead pursed her lips. A wicked side of herself debated an awful prank. She could easily carry him to a bed, strip them both and wait for him to wake. From there, it'd be simple to allow him to believe they'd done the deed. Her promise 'fulfilled' the slayer could head off any requests for a repeat. Masha worried her lip with her teeth. Would that really be the best idea? She was trying to turn over a new leaf after all.

The redhead groaned as she pushed herself up. Her body felt like one massive bruise. Hell, Imai had some power on him. In an odd way, it could be seen as foreplay. She giggled at the errant thought. That little kink happened to be a little dark for someone's first time. The redhead gathered Imai into her arms. Turning about, the slayer went about finding a place for them. The entire time she mulled over the morality of pulling a prank or actually going through with her promise. Imai did seem a bit young. Would this one night potentially corrupt him? Impossible to say. She'd roll those dice and see how it landed.

Masha found them a little love hotel. Seemed appropriate. When she placed Imai on the bed, the redhead went to shower off. The seawater and sand washed away. It made her feel much lighter. Masha left her clothing as she returned to the bed. Imai probably felt the same soul crushing exhaustion she did. The slayer slipped into bed next to the Sabertooth mage. Her hands shimmered with magic. The magic sank into Imai's chest. Only a minute into her spell, Masha could barely keep her eyes open. She cuddled up to Imai without thinking and drifted off to sleep.

WC: 329/7302
PWC: 14312

It was pretty dark. Very dark. When one has blanked out, they rarely dream… they often just find themselves in a void. However, despite Imai being gone for the time being, it must’ve been awkward to carry him around with an iron pipe under his trunks. Consciously, he didn’t register anything happening in the outer world, but his body still reacted…

It was only after a while of rest between the two in the bed that Imai’s consciousness reawakened. A surge of magic leaked through his chest, reacting with his entire body that was already excessively magical in nature itself. It jolted a few life sparks into him, and then…

He slowly opened his eyes with a grunt, unsure as to what occurred. He was crawling over to Masha, making sure she kept to her promise… but why were they- woah…

Upon looking around, Imai figured that this room was exactly like one of those lovey-dovey bedrooms that you could rent in the doujins that he read. He couldn’t smell the ocean… for Masha’s scent overwhelmed him. Then again, she was cuddling right next to him! A-And she was butt-naked! Wait, so she was ready right now?!

D-Damn, Imai figured that she’d be eager, but it felt as if his heart wasn’t ready… except that didn’t matter, because a large part of his being yearned for moments like this one. “O-Ohhh…” he moaned deeply upon the mere sight of her naked form clinging to him, “… H-Hello, you uh… y-you awake or…?”

His heart sank a little. Was she sleeping? He wanted to grope her so badly – she was right there, right there, and his hands were just looming an inch away from her exposed babadonkahonkas who just screamed in plead at him with hallucinating phrases like ‘uwu so sore, please knead us like freaking dough, don’t hold back, we really want some squeezy squishy licky action boi’ – but what if she kicked him in the groin? He knew a handful of women who had done that in the past, even without him advancing on them.

He was a hopeless, depraved pervert, but he wasn’t selfish. “A-Are you… uhm, Masha? When did… when did you bring me here?” he asked her, hoping to get a reaction or an answer from her, but she looked to be in deep slumber.

… Wait…

This scene looked like the aftermath of love-making. But he had no recollection of ramming her… what was going on now, then?

“Hmpf… if you don’t answer within 5 seconds, I’ll squeeze those huge breasts of yours,” he gave her a last warning, his fingers crooking over her milk machines in anticipation, "5… 4… 3… 2…”

WC: 447
Thread TWC: 14,759

1x S-Rank Freeform + 759 WC in excess

Imai's slight shifting instantly woke Masha. She'd learned to sleep light. Her mind quickly took stock of the room. Nothing chaining her down, nothing keeping her trapped in here. Her body hadn't been violated. Her eyes stayed closed throughout this process. It took a mere moment. Caution had been slammed into her since the moment of her creation. Any lapse in caution always ended in a painful lesson. Sad that even now, she couldn't find much trust within herself for those around her. A legal mage, one as cute as Imai, hadn't been enough to allow her to drop her guard.

Masha stifled her giggle at Imai's 'threat'. Let him touch. He'd be doing enough of that soon enough. When his threat was carried out, the succubus slowly opened her eyes. Her lips curved upward in a demure smile. "If that was all you wanted, you just needed to ask, big boy." She purred. "But let me show you something even better"

FADE TO THAT NASTY BLACK

When they had finished, Masha slid out of bed. She washed up in the bathroom. Surprisingly, she didn't felt bad or disgusting this time. Perhaps there was a change with a legal mage. The redhead stepped into the doorway of the bathroom, leaning against it. Masha regarded Imai. No potential there. Not for something long term. He was still too immature, too lusting. A small smile touched her lips. Perhaps that might change now. With one last look, Masha clothed herself and stepped out the door.

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