Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
Serena POV - January 25, 1977 Magical World - July 19, 2008 DxD.
I walked to the center of the stadium in Pentagram City and looked around. The stadium was reasonably empty, compared to when there was a Rating Game. It was empty, after all; today, only all the succubi of Pentagram City were gathered inside.
Well, all the succubi over the age of 10, which was the approximate age at which succubi needed to know all about their bodies, the age at which they needed to start feeding on the emotions of lust nearby, so it was that age where the Succubi had 'the talk' with their daughters.
I mean, no succubus was totally clueless about such things; after all, it was a natural part of their bodies, not something hidden even from children. It was simply biological, but at that age, more details were explained because there was a need to keep the succubi passively fed.
They didn't need direct feeding until they were older, but for their healthy development and growth, they needed to be surrounded by those emotions of lust.
I had sent a message through Marion, Fengxian, and Sheila the day before, after the peace conference, and to my surprise, literally every single succubus obeyed the request to shut down and abandon everything they were doing, or had planned to do, to come and attend this huge meeting.
I could see my face being broadcast on the screen, and my voice was connected to the audio system, so there wouldn't be any problem with them hearing me. I had to close off the entire stadium and put up barriers around the place so no one could spy on me or sneak in; after all, it was better if it kept secret.
Once I could see that everyone was settled in and chatting animatedly with each other, I finally cleared my throat and called everyone's attention.
"Thank you all for coming here," I said easily. "Normally, I communicate with you through Marion, Fengxian, and Sheila, but I decided it was better to do it with all of you gathered here. I'll be here to answer any questions or concerns you may have about my announcement." I said gently, and I could see more than one of you frown with worry.
"As you know, most succubi now live within Pentagram City, with a few exceptions thriving in other territories, so Pentagram City has essentially become the succubi's home without a doubt," I announced with a small smile. I could hear a few cheers. "Now then."
"Let's start with the easiest one," I said, clapping my hands. "So far, all the succubi have been able to stay properly fed, either by finding clients in Wallachia or Pentagram City, while the others absorb the remaining lust from the air to stay healthy."
"While everything has remained in perfect condition so far and you have been completely healthy, it may not be sustainable, especially when our numbers increase as you begin to have children."
"So I want to address the topic of food," I said easily, looking at everyone. "If you look under your seats, you'll find two items: a bottle and a tablet. Ignore the tablet for now; after all, you won't be able to use it at the moment." I watched as all the succubi began to stir and squirm under their seats.
They began to take out both objects and look at her curiously; after a few minutes, I nodded and continued.
"The bottle contains something I like to call the elixir of life. Ignore the pretentious name; it's my own creation," I said casually. "What you hold in your hand is the equivalent of absorbing a person's life force."
"By drinking it, you will be able to feed yourself without needing to absorb vital energy from other people. It is completely safe and has no side effects; drinking it will keep you fed and healthy for a couple of days without any problems."
"You can drink it if you want," I said casually, looking at the shocked succubi. I saw several of them carefully open the bottles before slowly taking a sip. I was truly surprised by their trust in me, and I could only smile slightly. A few gasps escaped their lips before they began drinking eagerly, which only prompted the other succubi to copy them.
After that, most of the succubi were drinking from the bottles with great enthusiasm. When they finished, some stared incredulously at the bottle, others stared off into space with a look of surprise, and some looked at me intently. I just smiled.
"As you just felt, the water you just drank, will it be able to replace a succubus's need to absorb a person's life force to stay healthy? Will you be able to continue absorbing people's life force? Yes, as long as you get the other party's explicit permission, but it wouldn't really be necessary if you didn't want to."
"Water will provide all the vital energy and nutrients necessary for succubi to remove the dependence on other people to survive, so that water will be a free resource in the red-light district."
"I will place a fountain around the metal statue you've made for me. The fountain will be built to keep the elixir in perfect condition, remain completely clean, and remain inexhaustible. The succubi will be able to go and draw water from that fountain to keep themselves healthy without any problem," I said easily. The succubi looked at me silently and suppressed the urge to writhe, then the screams began.
I grimaced as I listened to the screams of joy and shock from the succubi; some were even crying, so I grimaced. I raised my hand to quiet them down. It took longer than I expected, but even so, many of them seemed to be bouncing with excitement as they clutched the bottles.
"I'm glad you like it, but as I was saying, the fountain is located in the center of the red-light district. Small channels and other fountains will be built throughout the red-light district to bring the elixir closer to your homes. At the moment, it's a bit impossible to build pipes that carry it directly to your houses, so I'm sorry about that; you'll have to collect it from the fountains."
"Only succubi will be able to approach the fountain and take the water from there. As I said, it will be made so that it never runs out, so you can simply carry as much as you want and take it with you without any problem."
"And before you think it, water will only serve to keep you completely healthy without depending on absorbing vital energy from other people. That doesn't mean that drinking all the water you can will make you stronger, no, it will simply keep you healthy."
"Even so, don't be afraid to take all the water you want, as it is an inexhaustible source. For succubi who have young daughters, the water is also suitable for them to drink, so don't worry about giving it to them." I told the succubi easily, and I could see them all begin to speak excitedly.
Finally, I had created an elixir of life that served as a substitute for the succubi's food. It was very similar to water, with only a slight mineral taste, and it was made from philosopher's stones. A single philosopher's stone, even containing just a few souls, could supply thousands of tons of water.
I wouldn't have to change the philosopher's stone for another decade if my calculations were correct.
"Now, as I mentioned, our numbers may increase as you have children, and that brings us to the next point. Recently, some succubi inquired about having children. As you all know, governments typically prohibit succubi from reproducing to prevent overpopulation, since we are very fertile. The pillar devils don't want too many of us; they say we're a waste of resources." I said dismissively, and I could hear some grunts and swear words.
"So I'll announce it right away: succubi can have children whenever and with whomever they want, as long as it's consensual and you're able to support and provide for your children's basic needs." I announced before being stopped by the screams and many squeals of joy. I waited until they calmed down slightly. "Even so, I have... something to mention to you." I said solemnly.
"Lord Beelzebub and I have been researching succubi, and by chance we found something... very worrying, in the sense that it will be a danger to all of us if misused," I said gravely. I could see several of them stop stiffly and look at me with concern. "It's... difficult to explain without using complicated terms."
"But essentially, under the right conditions, Succubi are capable of giving birth to children who can inherit the traits of the pillar clans." I finally said, and there was a silence before the panic began. I let it run rampant for a few moments before raising my hand and magically silencing all the voices.
"The simple explanation is that a succubus's body acts as a gene bank. Every time a succubus has a daughter, that daughter will keep the father's genes dormant and pass them on to her offspring, and they will never disappear."
"Therefore, the more generations a succubus has, the more recessive genes she has in her body. Under the right conditions, which involve having offspring with someone whose recessive gene is compatible with the father, then the daughter of that union may awaken and inherit the dormant gene."
"All of you here, or most of you, have one or more ancestors who were pillar devils. That means most of you can give birth to succubi who inherit those traits. I don't know how this happens. Perhaps Lilith created us this way. Perhaps she knew that a large number of pillar devils would be lost during the war and wanted to safeguard them somehow."
"Perhaps we were born this way by coincidence, which was a good thing. If we had had this ability from the beginning, we succubi would have been used even worse, like cattle, or eradicated by other factions." I said with a grimace. I could see one of the succubi raise her hand. I moved my hand and created a small microphone in front of her, which she clumsily took.
" So —does that mean we'll be used like livestock to breed a new generation of pillar devils?" the succubus asked solemnly and tremulously.
"No," I said without hesitation. "As I told you, Ajuka knows about this. I took charge and made him promise to take care of you and protect you. Ajuka and Sirzechs agreed, and they will agree with any decision we make. It's all signed and legalized. I, and by extension you, will have the final say on what happens to the succubi." I could see a succubus standing up. I moved the microphone toward her. She swallowed audibly and stared at me.
"With all due respect, Lady Prince, you've done so much for succubi, for all of us, but... how can you be so sure of it? Perhaps not now, but in the future, if the knowledge becomes public, if the pillar devils' numbers dwindle even further, the... the Satans will be forced to use us to replenish those numbers, how... how can you be so sure you can protect us?" the succubus said tremulously. I could hear some cries of indignation, but I stared at her and nodded.
"It's... a fear, certainly, not entirely unfounded. That may happen, yes," I said honestly. I could see several succubi trembling. "But when I say I will protect you, I mean I will protect you. As long as I live, no one will touch any succubus in any way they don't want." I said with determination. "And how will I protect you? Well..."
I let those words hang in the air before letting out the five pairs of wings from my back; the 10 devil wings spread out from my back and were displayed to all the succubi in the stadium.
"I think many of you have always wondered how I became so strong. I wondered too, and by the wings on my back, you've just figured out the reason. I am a descendant of one of the original Satans." I announced firmly, and I could see the shock on most of the succubi's faces. "To be specific, I am a descendant of the original Lucifer," I added, which caused them all to go into shock as they stared at me.
"I am strong, I will become stronger, I promise, and I will make sure to protect all the succubi who live in Pentagram City, even if I have to fight all the pillar devils, or even the current Satans. I will protect the succubi, do not doubt it," I finally said. Finally, the shock passed, and they all began to speak at once.
"Is... is it really true?" Fengxian asked. To my surprise, Fengxian was in shock. I nodded.
"It is, it's been proven by Ajuka with the sample from another descendant of Lucifer. In fact, I mentioned it during the Peace Conference in Kuoh, so all the leaders of the biblical faction know it, and I have no doubt that the Voice will be shut down soon, so there's no point in hiding it or even lying about it." I said easily.
"That... is..." Fengxian was speechless, and I just nodded.
"I assure you, I have no affiliation with the old Satans faction. My loyalty is to Pentagram City and the current Satans. I have a friendship with them, so I truly believe it won't be necessary to confront them, but I will if they don't respect us." I told them easily. The succubi remained silent, almost contemplative. One of them raised her hand, and the microphone went to her.
"How... how will we know which pillar clan we could... have offspring with?" a succubus asked, frowning. I nodded.
"The tablet I left you has a small hole on its right. Simply drop in a hair, saliva, or a drop of blood, and it will show you which pillar clan you are compatible with. Some compatibilities may be blank because there aren't enough samples to compare with the extinct pillars. It will be updated, and you will be notified, but some are very difficult to obtain." I said easily.
"Is... is it mandatory? To have children with them?" the succubus asked, frowning almost defiantly.
"No," I said again immediately. "I'll ask you all to take the compatibility test, just to get a count of all of you, and don't worry, I won't share this information with even the devils or anyone else. All the data from these tablets is on a private server in my mansion, secure enough that no one can access it. Hence, the information about your compatibility is completely safe."
"The information will be entirely private. If you decide to have children with pillar clans, that is entirely voluntary. In fact, on the tablets I gave you, you have an option to decline to participate, and I will not judge you for any choice."
"Furthermore, that decision is not final. If you refuse or accept now, you can change your mind at any time. Just approach Marion and the others and let them know. They will communicate your decisions to me, and I will simply update your availability."
"The only thing is, if you decide to have children on your own, try to avoid those pillar devils, mainly because if your daughters have a pillar trait, it would be a legal hassle dealing with the pillar clan when they try to claim the daughter as their own." I said gently. The succubus nodded and sat back down.
"How... how would all this work? If we accept, would we simply... become part of the pillar clan? " a confused succubus asked, and I hummed.
"Initially, there will be a trial; Riser Phenex will be the first. I trust him and the Phenex to ensure the succubus remains in high condition. Those who are compatible with the Phenex may want to consider this."
"The tests will mainly be to ensure the health of the mother and daughter. Ajuka and I agree that the offspring will inherit the clan trait, but we don't know whether her succubi traits will also play a role or how strong they will be. We need a foundation to prepare the other succubi."
"After that... just do whatever you want. If you want to have children with a member of a pillar clan, as I said, I'd prefer you mention it to me beforehand, but it's not really necessary."
"But if you tell me, I can make sure to arrange favorable conditions for you. The pillar devils are desperate to increase their numbers, so if a succubus agrees to bear children for someone, I can negotiate and ensure that, while they may not be treated like queens, it will be something close to it," I said easily.
"And you will be paid for it?!" shouted one of the succubi. I shook my head.
"Not really, I don't need money or anything. This is your life, yours to decide what you want to do. My job is to take care of you. There are high-class devils out there who would use you like breeding stock if they found out and caught you off guard. I do not doubt that, so I want to avoid those situations." I said honestly.
"Does it have to be for love and all that? Or will we gain some kind of status or money? I wouldn't mind having one or two children for the right price." A succubus asked, shrugging her shoulders. I just raised an eyebrow.
"When did I say it had to be for love?" I asked easily. The succubus smiled slightly. "As I said, they're your lives, live them as you wish. If you want to rent your wombs, you can. Again, I'll try to get you the best deal, and then I'll make sure your daughters are well cared for and not treated like livestock, but that would be all." I said easily. The succubus just smiled and nodded readily.
"And... what about the extinct pillar devils? They appear here as compatible, but we don't know who they are," another succubus asked. I hummed.
"And it will be impossible to know," I said easily. "If necessary, I could pair you up with each other, and you can try to figure it out if you know your lineage, but there's nothing more we can do," I said with a sigh. "I'm still... working on a way to awaken those pillar clans, but it's still a work in progress," I explained. The succubus just nodded. I sighed and continued answering one question after another.
After almost two hours, it seemed that all the doubts, or at least most of them, had been resolved. Finally, the succubi began to leave, looking at me as they did so. Marion, Fengxian, and Sheila approached. Marion was still under the effects of a calming potion, which had kept her from having a panic attack due to her agoraphobia.
"That turned out better than I expected." I sighed wearily, and Fengxian sighed.
"It was, but I recommend you prepare yourself. The succubi have been waiting to have children for a long time so that we may have a high number of girls next year." Fengxian said easily, and I nodded.
"I know, everything is being prepared for it. I'm more worried that some of them won't follow my instructions and will decide to seduce a devil pillar and have children with them." I sighed wearily. "I'll continue to defend them, but the headache they'll cause me will be enough to make me want to leave." I groaned wearily. Sheila laughed softly.
"There will be some of them, yes, unfortunately, we will make sure they respect those rules, but unfortunately, we don't have firm control over them; they've gotten used to their newfound freedom because of you, Lady Prince." Sheila playfully chided me, and I rolled my eyes.
" Yes, yes, yes, it's all my fault." I grumbled in annoyance, and indeed, it was partly because of creating the city, but there wasn't much I could do. "Let's finish detailing the more delicate parts right away; I have a fountain to build before I move on to my next project," I said with a sigh.