Blood Red

The Succubus and the Paladin had their differences, but they had never spoken out until now. The explosive difference between the two were huge, and neither was willing to back down.

Just as they were in the middle of a staring contest, glaring at each other because words didn’t seem to suffice anymore, the Succubus suddenly flinched and looked away. Her eyes narrowed into a focus, then widened along with a sharp inhale.

Without a word, she rushed back. She was so fast that she disappeared from the Paladin’s sight. He was left standing with a pile of monster corpses.

When the Scholar and the Fleur returned to the mana plant cave, they found the walls and the floor damp.

“There’s water coming out of that hole,” the Fleur pointed up.

On the wall of the cave was a small place where water trickled onto the floor. Wherever the water went, it touched at least one mana plant.

“Doesn’t it smell sweet to you?” the Scholar said.

The Fleur furrowed her brows. “It’s sweet, but it doesn’t smell right.”

“What do you mean?” the Scholar asked.

The Fleur, being a magical beast, had a better sense of smell than him.

“I don’t know what it is, but something about this just doesn’t feel good.” The Fleur covered their mouth.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” the Scholar said, his eyes wide with amazement behind his spectacles.

“I can’t see, but I can feel it,” the Fleur said. “The mana plants are growing!”

“Maybe the water is making them grow?” the Scholar asked.

“We should find something to collect this water,” the Fleur said. They opened their bags and fished out all the containers they carried.

Suddenly, a gust of wind passed them by. On the opposite side of the cave, the Succubus suddenly appeared.

“Where did she go?” the Succubus asked. Her face was tight with danger, her body tense like a lion about to pounce.

Scared, the Scholar and the Fleur could only point towards the crevice behind the Succubus. The Succubus disappeared.

“What was that about?” the Fleur asked.

“I think the Witch might be in trouble,” the Scholar said.

“Should we go help?” the Fleur asked.

“Let’s go take a look,” the Scholar said. “However, we should turn back at the first sign of danger. We won’t be able to handle it like they can.”

The Fleur was fully aware that the only reason they could come down so deep was the power of the Witch and the Succubus. They did their best not to get in their way, and they would try not to create more trouble.

The Fleur nodded, and the Scholar illuminated a light ball in his hand and headed into the crevice.

The Succubus zipped into the crevice. Her legs pumped back and forth as she ran. Rock debris fell from her sides when her shoulders scrapped against the wall. They did not put any scratches on her. She had encased her body with mana to buff her speed and strength. However, she morphed her shoulders narrower to reduce the friction and run faster.

She barely paused at the intersections as she looked at the carvings on the wall and followed the smell of the Witch’s mana.

The demon dashed back and forth the pathways. Searching, following the higher numbers if both intersections were marked, ignoring the ones that were not marked, she finally found the cave.

The smell in here was disgusting, like rotten corpses. The monsters were all injured or old as they headed toward the red pool that swallowed them. It was a march of death into their grave.

The Witch’s scent came from the pool, but she was nowhere in sight. The Succubus dashed to the red waters and found the Witch’s cane right next to it.

No, she couldn’t have jumped in there. Why would she do something so strange? Why would she want to even get anywhere near this disgusting pool of liquid that reeked of blood and death?

This was a mana pool, red with the blood, nourished by the bodies eaten alive underwater. But the Succubus could sense the Witch’s mana inside.

While the Succubus was with the Paladin, she sensed the Witch’s mana suddenly decreased as if it had been sucked from her. Now the Succubus understood why.

Holding her breath, the Succubus jumped into the red water.

It was dark inside, almost impossible to see, but the Succubus didn’t have to use her eyes. She honed her sense of mana on the Witch and found her below. Kicking the water, the Succubus dived.

The demon did not attempt to circumvent the monster bodies blocking her way. It would take too long. She swam as fast as possible, making a straight line toward the Witch, pushing aside anything that stood in her way.

At the bottom of the pool, the Succubus sensed another monster. It was huge, and its body extended far below. Unlike the other monsters, this one was not on the brink of death. It was alive and healthy. It ate the dying monsters.

The Witch was drifting towards the monster.

Opening her eyes, the Succubus summoned a ball of light in her hand and illuminated the blood-red water.

Down below, a giant circular mouth opened wide. Tentacles connecting to its mouth drifted lazily in the water like jellyfish. At the end of the tentacles was the Witch, eyes closed, unconscious. Mana was being pumped from the Witch into the tentacles and into the monster.

Furious, the Succubus dived. Mana blades flew out of her hands at the tentacles, but instead of cutting them off, the tentacles absorbed the blades. The tentacles absorbed mana instantly on contact.

Gritting her teeth in annoyance, the demon reached into her voidspace. While taking out the scythe, red water also rushed into the opening.

Finally arriving next to the Witch, the demon swung her scythe at the tentacles. Before her scythe could land its attack, more tentacle shot out from the monster’s mouth at the Succubus.

The Succubus barely avoided them with awkward maneuvering in the waters.

Where the Succubus had previously arrived next to the Witch, the attack of the tendrils successfully put a distance between her and her mistress.

The Succubus had never envied nymphs and mermaids more than now. Despite her awkwardness, she didn’t give up. She transformed her legs into two large, long fins.

The Witch, who had been drifting in the same spot, was being dragged into the mouth of the monster. The Succubus must hurry.

The demon slashed at the slippery arms, cutting them off as they reached for her. She wouldn’t let the tendrils divert her any longer. Using her fins, the demon dived once more for the Witch. This time, her movements were agile and precise. She cut off all the tentacles binding the Witch with one fell swoop. Securing her free arm around the Witch’s waist, the Succubus kicked up towards the surface.

However, escape was not that easy. One of the tentacles shot out and grabbed onto the Succubus’s leg, and the other wrapped around her waist. They began sucking mana from the demon as soon as they made contact.

The Succubus immediately cloaked her mana, halting the leak. She swung her scythe around and cut the tentacles off while her legs continued to swim towards the surface.

The Succubus pumped her legs as soon as the mana-sucking limbs were cut loose. They bolted up inside the bloody water, surrounded by dying monsters, frenzy water bubbles trailing them like a red wedding dress. They broke through the water’s surface with such speed that they popped out of the red pool in a tall, elegant arc. The Succubus landed gently, taking care not to shake the Witch.

The Witch, whose body had been limp in the demon’s arm, did not stir. Her mana felt so weak as if she was half dead.

The Succubus clenched her teeth with anguish. She should never have let the Witch go off on her own. She should have stayed next to her the whole time. How could she let something like this happen to someone so important to her?

The Succubus put the Witch down and tore away all the remaining tentacles. The Witch was not breathing. There was no pulse at her neck. The demon lifted her trembling hands, and her face paled.

However, it wasn’t completely hopeless. There was still a chance to revive the Witch. There was still mana in the body. Life had not been completely depleted yet.

“I’m sorry for being a bit rough on you,” the Succubus said. She placed her hand on the Witch’s chest. “Please let me in,” the Succubus whispered, and pumped some mana into the Witch. Perhaps because there was no resistance or because the Succubus’ mana simply overpowered the Witch’s weak mana, the mana successfully entered the Witch’s body.

The Succubus found the Witch’s heart and started squeezing it with mana. At the same time, she dragged out the water from the lungs, stomach, and the airways as she tilted the Witch’s head sideways.

“Come on, come back, My Lady,” the Succubus said with a trembling voice.

The water filling her lungs, stomach, and airways spilled from the Witch’s mouth, staining the floor red. Some of the monsters who were heading toward the pool started to come, no doubt to get a taste of the red water before they could reach the pool.

Frustrated, the Succubus used a cleaning spell on the floor. Using another cleaning spell, she cleaned the lingering red water inside of the Witch’s mouth.

As the Succubus continued to pump the Witch’s heart, her heart finally regained life and started beating on its own. It was weak, but at least the Witch regained her pulse again, and she started breathing.

The Succubus let out a breath of relief.