Side Story: The Gift (2)
"...But so what? You say it's dangerous to beings like us?"
"In the end, you're a woman and so am I. It's a power that only works on women, so of course it's dangerous."
What? That's what you meant?
Sure, it was powerful enough to affect even me.
But it was still just a somewhat strong Gift.
It was incredibly potent even in its immature state, which was worth watching, but even if it fully matured, it probably wouldn't be particularly dangerous.
As long as we prepared countermeasures, it wouldn't affect us much.
Besides, his Gift wasn't the type that made you stronger in the first place.
All it did was stoke lust...
It was a bit ridiculous coming from a succubus like me, but still.
In the end, it was just lust.
What was so dangerous about that?
As I was thinking that, Ariadd spoke up to Lilith.
"Aaah, but then... Lilithhh, the reason Hanjo's Gift affected you like thaaat—"
"......?"
Lilith tilted her head at Ariadd's words, then her face quickly flushed red.
"Shut up, Ariadd."
If his Gift really manifested different abilities depending on the target.
Then the reason it hit her with the vibe of a powerful stud was...
Because that's what she was into.
It meant the kind of man who stirred her interest was a strong one.
A powerful male...
No, a strong man.
Whatever. Did that mean I liked strong men?
Me?
"Hee hee hee, that makes senseee. Lilithhh, that's why you've never liked or loved anyone before... Has there ever been a man stronger than youuu?"
"......"
Lilith clamped her lips shut at Ariadd's words.
She was a being who devoured the life force of everything around her just by existing.
That was why she was so much stronger than any other succubus.
Even breathing sucked away the life from her surroundings bit by bit, making her stronger. How could she not be?
A normal succubus's Level Drain absorbed power from those she mated with.
Hers just passively drained from everything around her.
So in the world before everything went to shit, there'd never been a man stronger than her.
And even after the worlds merged, it was the same.
Sure, there were some pretty strong ones thanks to all the dimensions smashing together, but they were all still weaker than her.
Weirdly, there were way more strong women.
Over half of the twenty-two heroes like her were female, after all.
No way. Was that really why?
Why she'd never fallen for anyone before?
Because she liked men stronger than her, so no one had ever measured up?
"Hee hee hee, liking strong men? You've got a cute side after allll, Lilithhh. You wanted a man to protect you or something like thaaat?"
"...I told you to shut up."
Her tastes forcibly outed like that.
And ones she hadn't even realized herself. Her face burned.
No, it was probably beet red for real.
Ariadd giggling at her confirmed it.
Should I just punch her?
As the impulse rose and Lilith started to raise her fist, Ariadd spoke.
"Stillll, it's not good. I'm serious, no joke. What I said about Hanjo's Gift being dangerous is trueee. At least for Hanjo, it's extremely dangerous."
"...Why?"
"Becauseee, Hanjo can't even control his own Gift yet, and as you know, this world is full of all sorts of races. Races that are extremely dangerous to a Gift like his."
Lilith froze at that, recalling the races Ariadd meant.
...Yeah.
Tons of them.
"Fuck, seriously..."
Races treated as special management cases because their lust came with a hunger that could kill. Ones that tried to eat their mates after fucking. Ones that hunted men they fancied like prey. Or even ones that froze the objects of their love solid.
All sorts from every dimension, mixed into one world. So even the shittiest races lived side by side.
If Hanjo's Gift activated for some reason and one of those was nearby...?
It had even made a strong one like Ariadd go berserk and affected her.
If that happened...
"Fuck, shit. Really..."
Whether it was heat, adoration, love, whatever.
I could picture the crazy bitches lunging at him.
Could a weak-ass human like Hanjo resist?
He'd just get eaten alive, frozen solid, or some other bad end.
"That fucker's way too weak."
For a human, he was big and strong, sure.
But still just a human.
No martial arts, no magic, no special abilities to speak of.
I'd given him Level Drain, and he had his Gift.
But neither had shit to do with combat power.
Basically, he was just a guy with a huge dick.
Great talent for a Dispenser, but a big cock didn't make you a fighter.
"...Should I find some martial arts manual or something and teach him?"
Even if I did, how long would it take to get strong?
I'd been strong since birth. Never trained for it, so I had nothing to teach.
"Fuck, seriously..."
Someone else who was talented at that was...
A simple little fox yokai.
Starting as a weak fox yokai in a world of yokai, humans exorcising them, martial arts, shamanism, magic... bottom of the barrel.
But born strong and kept getting stronger until she was one of the twenty-two heroes, equal to me: Hoaran.
She could definitely teach Hanjo better than me, who'd always been strong.
At least enough to protect himself—or hold out until I could help.
She'd pick it up quick.
But...
"I don't wanna ask her..."
That fox bitch had been affected by the Gift too, harboring feelings for him. Hell, she'd even called herself his mom right in front of me.
His mom was me.
And she'd tried to steal him away even after I revealed that.
Ask her?
No fucking way.
But I didn't know anyone else as suited.
Asking my subordinates—who were basically all succubi, strong and obedient—was out too.
I'd staffed them that way on purpose.
Letting succubi teach Hanjo? Disaster waiting to happen.
Might as well let a cat run a fish shop.
Had my tiny circle of friends ever pissed me off this much?
I irritably chewed my nails.
In the end, only that damn fox?
But...
No matter how I thought about it, Hoaran was the only answer.
Wait, think a bit more. Maybe another way.
A better way...
"Aaah, so cuuute."
Ariadd murmured softly, smiling as Lilith— who normally would've heard it—gnawed her nails deep in thought, oblivious.
Lilith was adorable, denying her obsession like that.
But maybe this was better.
If Lilith got honest about her feelings, few could stop her.
The succubus queen, first time loving someone.
A being who'd ruled a dimension by force alone. Obvious what would happen if she embraced it.
She'd hide Hanjo away in her domain, clinging to him every day.
Then...
'No chance for meee?'
She thought herself strong, but even here—in her home turf—she'd lost thoroughly to Lilith. In Lilith's domain? No contest.
Not just no win; she wouldn't even get close.
'Don't do iiiit. Lilith's my frienddd.'
But did that matter?
'Wellll... they say the closer the friends, the more you shaaare.'
Would sharing even work?
Maybe it didn't matter.
If not enough, just make more.
Sap overflowed anyway.
'Sharing has more upsides the more I think about iiiit...?'
Drink her life-force sap, and exhaustion vanished.
Plus succubus queen powers?
'Yup, all upsides.'
When Hanjo's Gift hit, Ariadd had felt pure affection, maternal love.
Wanting to give him everything, dote endlessly.
Pour out her sap, hug him, kiss him, love him.
A fairy born from the World Tree.
Lived centuries like that.
First time feeling this.
Like winter's end, first spring sun warming her whole body.
When his semen pulsed inside her.
Still felt his cock twitching within. Ariadd closed her eyes.
Aaah...
If only Lilith had come a bit later.
But it was fine.
'Plenty of timeee.'
Like the World Tree, slow but sure roots spreading. Born from it, Ariadd knew patience.
Opportunity would come.
Until then...
'Lilithhh, don't notice, okayyy?'
I don't wanna fight you.
Ariadd just hoped her lovable, foolish friend stayed blind to her feelings a little longer. Just a bit.