Succubi Chapter 125. Tie
"Shut up," Adrian said, wheezing out a half-laugh, half-cough. He clutched his side like that would somehow keep his ribs from shaking loose. His voice was weak, but he still wore that smug, pain-soaked grin like an idiot who just survived a boss fight with 1 HP and no health pots.
Kyra and Felix jogged toward us from the sidelines. The crowd was still buzzing, some chanting the Hexblade's nickname while others just looked stunned that Adrian wasn't a corpse.
Kyra crouched next to him, eyes scanning his bruises like a medic with attitude.
"You okay, Adrian?" she asked, voice light but layered with concern.
He gave her a thumbs-up, which lasted about two seconds before he winced. "Fine. Just a little... ventilated."
Kyra raised an eyebrow. "You're bleeding out of your armpit."
"That's where I store my extra charm."
Felix plopped down beside me, dramatic as always.
"No one's gonna ask how I'm doing?" he said, offended. "Hello? I also fought. My rune shattered. I lost a piece of my soul in that fight."
Kyra didn't even glance at him. "I saw you almost moan when that woman nearly touched your rune."
"Hey!" Felix squawked. "That was strategic dodging! Besides, she didn't touch it. She threw a damn voice bomb, almost turned me into an eunuch. It was like a banshee doing ASMR."
I shook my head, deadpan. "Hell, you're too crazy."
"Says the guy who shadow-stepped mid-arena like he was photobombing death."
Adrian laughed again, then groaned and leaned into me. "You healed me too good. Now everything hurts equally."
"Cry more. I'm a sadist."
"You love me."
"No."
"Just say it."
"I'm gonna shove your rune up your nose."
Kyra smirked. "Still think putting it on your neck was a good idea?"
Adrian puffed his chest dramatically. "It was tactical. Psychological warfare. You wouldn't hit a pretty face, would you?"
"We are wearing masks," I pointed out.
He shrugged, then hissed in pain. "Yeah, well, maybe I radiated too much main character energy. My bad."
Felix nodded solemnly. "Happens to the best of us."
The dust was still settling in the ring. A couple of repair drones whirred by, patching up scorch marks on the walls and floor tiles like janitors cleaning up after a rave. The audience started to thin, some heading to the lower betting floors, others sticking around in case a bonus round happened.
I handed Adrian one of my potions to hasten his recovery. His pulse was steady again, his eyes less cloudy. I hated how relieved that made me feel.
Callahan reappeared then.
He didn't say anything at first. Just stood there at the edge of our circle like some overworked substitute teacher about to hand back failed exams.
His coat billowed slightly in the AC draft. His hair was slicked back, and his usual dead-inside expression was firmly in place. No emotion. No relief. No praise.
Just cold calculation.
Kyra muttered under her breath. "Here comes the lecture."
Felix made a show of covering his ears. "La la la I can't hear the disappointment."
Callahan didn't flinch. "Minion E."
I flinched.
"I mean, Evan."
I gave him a long, long look.
He ignored it. "It's a draw. They want one more duel to break the tie."
My jaw tightened. Cold crept into my spine. "Let me guess... my opponent is that Hexblade?"
Callahan shook his head. "No. He attacked Adrian with lethal intent. That breaks the clause. He's out for the rest of the month."
I let out a slow breath, relieved.
Then he added, "So..."
I cringed already.
"…you'll fight the banshee."
I turned my head slowly. "The banshee."
He nodded, deadly serious. "Yes."
"The one who nearly blew up Felix's crotch and made him lose his 'future'?"
Callahan didn't flinch. "Yes. That one." He added dryly, "Just don't tie your rune to your crotch like he did. That was stupid."
"Hey!" Felix sat up, clutching his knees. "It wasn't stupid! It was... tactical! Psychological warfare!"
"You screamed like your bloodline got rebooted," Kyra said, snorting.
"I thought she shattered my lineage!" he wailed. "I had dreams, man! A family! A puppy!"
"She nuked your fertility with a note," I muttered.
Felix clutched his stomach. "I felt it vibrate in my kidneys. My ancestors wept. My future children waved goodbye. The whole family tree got deforested."
Callahan didn't even blink. "Again. Don't. Tie. Your rune. To your genitals."
"Well… technically, it was nearby. It was proximity-based bonding!"
Kyra was wheezing now. "Oh, c'mon. You said it yourself, you wanted her to touch it."
"S-Shut up!" Felix shouted, his ears turning red.
"Wow," Adrian groaned from the floor, "Your emotions resonated straight into a castration."
I tried, really tried, not to laugh. But a wheeze escaped.
Felix turned to me. "You're next! You'll see! She'll whisper 'die' and your appendix is gonna file for divorce!"
I raised a hand. "I'll shield."
"She bypasses shields with melody!" he hissed.
Kyra patted his shoulder. "I'll prep earplugs for you, sweetheart."
"I don't need earplugs. I need therapy. And possibly a mana-vasectomy reversal."
Callahan cleared his throat. "Anyway. Your match starts in twenty minutes. Minion E, you're expected to win."
I raised a brow. "Against a sonic demon banshee who targets internal organs?"
"Correct."
"Any tips?"
"Don't die."
"Wow. Inspired."
He turned and walked off like a goddamn movie scene, coat fluttering behind him.
Felix fell back dramatically. "You're gonna die. You're gonna explode from the inside out. Your eardrums are gonna file a class action lawsuit."
Kyra rolled her eyes. "He'll be fine. Just needs a new resonance pattern. I'll help him tune before the match."
I rubbed my temples. "This place is insane."
I sighed and stood up, stretching out my arms. My back cracked. My rune, below my collarbone, right side, not the thigh, not the crotch, buzzed faintly in response.
I could feel the arena's next heartbeat pulsing through the halls. Another round. Another scream.
Felix was still lying on the floor, hands covering his groin like a national treasure.
"I'll pray for you," he whispered. "And your descendants."
I flipped him off without turning.
Kyra called out after me. "Try not to let her moan you into a coma!"
"Thanks!" I shouted back. "That helps!"
Adrian's voice followed. "Remember—if she sings your name, don't answer!"
Felix added, "Unless you want your intestines to salsa-dance out your ears!"
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