"Hmm.. interesting"
I slightly unsheathed the katana only to find that the blade was also black, so black it seemed to drink the light of the room.
"Are you sure about this, Aza?" Eva asked, leaning over my shoulder to get a better look. "It's a bit... plain, don't you think?"
"I don't know," I said, running a finger along the flat of the blade, the metal cold as a corpse. "But it feels... right."
For some reason, I feel that this blade is an extension of my arm, an extension of my very being.
I could already feel it, my skill 'Devour' resonating with the blade. It was like meeting a long-lost sibling. Both were born from darkness, and both were hungry.
"Hey, Liza, do you know anything about this blade?" I asked, looking at the red-haired succubus.
"I'm... not sure," Liza frowned, her eyes scanning the blade. "Many things here were collected long before I took over the shop, and I don't recall seeing this before."
She looked at the barrel where I found it.
"It's possible that it was mixed with other items from a recent 'acquisition'," she said, her tone suggesting that she didn't want to elaborate on what that 'acquisition' entailed.
'Probably from some poor bastard who couldn't pay for Beatrice's services,' I thought, a smirk playing on my lips.
"Can I have it?"
"Of course, Mother Beatrice said you can take whatever you want," Liza said, her expression returning to its usual neutral mask.
"Great." I smiled and put the katana on my back; it fit perfectly.
"Can I take the dildo sword now?" Eva asked, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Sigh... sure," I said, my shoulders slumping in defeat.
"Yay!" Eva cheered and snatched the weapon from Liza's hands.
"Now, for the main event," Eva said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. She grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the back of the shop, towards a section I hadn't noticed before.
It was a small, secluded area, hidden behind a velvet curtain. The air here was different. Heavier. Charged with a strange, intoxicating energy.
On a small, ornate table, there was a single, plain-looking wooden box.
"What's this?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"A gift from Mother Beatrice," Eva said, her voice filled with reverence. "For your awakening."
She opened the box, and inside, nestled on a bed of black velvet, were three small, crystalline vials. Each vial contained a swirling, iridescent liquid that seemed to shift and change color, never settling on a single hue.
"What are they?"
"Something that will help you," Eva said, her eyes wide with excitement. "Mother Beatrice said that these are 'Elixirs of the Womb'; they are a rare and powerful concoction that can help awaken the full potential of your womb crest."
'Of course it's something related to my womb,' I thought, a vein throbbing on my forehead.
My body, my entire existence now, revolved around my ability to be fucked, to breed, to produce milk. My womb wasn't just a part of me; it was a goddamn power source. And now, I had potions to make it even more... potent.
The thought was both horrifying and, to my deepening shame, a little thrilling.
"And how, exactly, do they help?" I asked, my voice tight.
"They..." Eva hesitated, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "They... enhance your... fertility. Your... allure. They make you more... desirable... vessel."
A 'more desirable vessel.' Not a stronger warrior, not a more cunning strategist. A better baby-maker. A more tempting fuck-hole.
"Aza, my dear wife," Eva's tone softened. She noticed my expression, and her usual teasing demeanor was replaced with genuine concern. "It's not a bad thing."
"Sigh... I know," I sighed, my shoulders slumping. "It's just... a lot to take in."
"I get it," Eva said. She gently took my hand. "But this is who we are. This is our power. And the stronger we are, the more control we have."
She was right. I knew she was right. Power was power, no matter the source. And I needed all the power I could get.
"Alright," I said, my voice firm. "I'll take them."
"Great!" Eva's cheerful demeanor returned in an instant. She quickly packed the three vials into a small, velvet pouch and handed them to me. "Now, let's go. I'm starving."
We left the shop, the bell above the door chiming softly as we stepped back into the bustling main hall. The dildo sword was now sheathed and strapped to my back, right next to the black katana. I must have looked like some kind of perverted samurai.
'Just my fucked-up luck,' I thought with a sigh.
"So, where to now?" I asked, my eyes scanning the crowded hall.
"Let's go to the training room," Eva said, a determined glint in her eyes. "There are some things you need to learn."
"Okay," I agreed, my curiosity piqued. "Lead the way."
Eva led me through a long corridor, and when we reached the end of it, I saw a row of doors, each with a different color.
I was about to ask Eva what they were, but my ears suddenly picked up a familiar sound.
"Ahh~... Ahh~"
Moaning. Multiple moans.
"These are service rooms," Eva began explaining, noticing my expression. "Each door leads to a different kind of 'service,' and each room has a unique theme to cater to different tastes."
The sound of moaning grew louder, and I could hear a man's grunts mixed with a woman's cries.
As we passed the rooms, I spotted one door that was different from the others.
It had a gray metallic look with a red sign that said 'optional' and another sign that said 'employee only.'
"What's that room for?" I asked, pointing at the door.
Eva's playful expression vanished, replaced by a look of... disgust.
"Aaa... I won't waste my breath on that," she said, her voice cold. "Just a room for the... anyway, the training room is this way."
"Oh!... now I'm interested."
Seeing the look on Eva's face had lit a spark of curiosity in me. What kind of 'service' would make a succubus like Eva react like that?
"I SAID FORGET IT!" Eva yelled, her aura flaring for a second. It was a mix of anger and... fear? "LET'S GO!"
Her reaction only made me more curious, so I walked towards the door.
"STOP IT, AZA!" Eva yelled, her tail lashing behind her.
"I'm just gonna take a peek," I said, my hand reaching for the door handle.
"NO! DON'T!" She tried to stop me, but it was too late. I opened the door and peeked inside.
"..."
I froze, the air in my lungs turning to ice.
Three seconds later, I slowly closed the door, turned to the side, and... vomited.
"What... what the fuck was that?" I gasped, my body trembling. My mind replayed the scene I just witnessed.
"Hahaha!... told you so," Eva let out a harsh, humorless laugh. "Welcome to the 'optional' room, Aza. The place where the filth is the pleasure."
The vomit soured in my mouth. I wanted to scrub my brain with bleach. I saw… I saw…
"UGHHH!" I gagged again, dry-heaving onto the polished stone floor.
What I saw was slaves, mostly humans and some other weaker races, using glory holes to 'pleasure' demons, but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was the... how to put it in gentler words.
Playing with their shit and eating it.
"I need to wash my eyes... and my soul," I stammered, stumbling away from the door, my hands shaking.
"That's why I told you not to open it," Eva said, her voice devoid of any humor. She grabbed my arm, her grip surprisingly strong. "Come on. The training room will help you forget."
I let her drag me down the corridor, my mind reeling from the images I'd just seen. The sheer, unfiltered depravity of it was staggering. This wasn't just sex; it was degradation taken to an art form.
"Why the fuck does Beatrice allow this?" I finally managed to ask, my voice hoarse.
"It's a necessary evil," Eva sighed, her grip on my arm tightening. "Some clients... some demons... have tastes that are... extreme. Mother Beatrice stopped it for a time, but the clients, unable to find a place for their... 'hobby'... started to cause trouble, hurting and abusing our sisters during their regular sessions. So she brought the 'optional' room back."
She stopped and looked at me, her expression grim.
"It's better to confine the filth to one room than to let it stain the whole establishment. The slaves in there are criminals, the worst of the worst from various realms. They get a taste of hell, and we get... safety. It's a fucked-up trade, but it's the one we have."
The 'slaves' were criminals. That made me feel a little better, but only a little. The scene was still burning in my mind.
"I... understand," I said, my voice still shaky. "It's just..."
"Disgusting?" Eva offered. "Yeah, it is. But if Mother Beatrice didn't provide it, someone else would—a much worse place. At least here, it's... controlled."
She looked away from me.
"The only ones allowed to enter that room are the slaves and the clients who pay a hefty price for the privilege. Even most of us sisters are forbidden from entering. The few who do... they have the same 'hobby' as the clients."
I shuddered at the thought.
"Let's just... go to the training room," I said, my mind made up. I needed to hit something. Or someone.
"Good idea."